News on The Potato Supply Chain from India

December 14, 2011

Potato farmers in West Bengal go in for distress sale

Potato farmers in West Bengal are being forced to sell their produce at a much lower price as huge volumes of potatoes are lying at the cold storages.

December 12, 2011

Potato Farmers reject freight subsidy offer in Punjab

The Punjab government on Sunday announced freight subsidy for transportation of potato crop in domestic as well as export markets, but potato growers turned down the offer saying it would not bail them out.

December 07, 2011

West Bengal has its own potato school lunch discussion

For a long time, headlines on "potato"and "school lunches"usually addressed the new rules for school lunches discussed in the United States. Here is a different perspective on "potatoes as part of school lunches", from Wes...

December 03, 2011

Punjab potato growers seek govt's help as potato prices crash

As potato prices hit unexpected low levels in Punjab, growers have asked the state government to offer freight subsidy for marketing the tuber to other states in order to prevent mounting losses. Growers also warned of throwing potato on roads if state...

November 05, 2011

Low prices may cut Rabi (winter) potato acreage by 15 to 20 per cent

Potato acreage in India is likely to drop by 15-20% in the new (winter) season. Farmers suffered last year due to a decline in prices following a higher production. According to an initial estimate, the losses could run into few thousand crores with Be...

October 16, 2011

Potato prices in Deesa (Gujarat) at 10 year low

The potato capital of Gujarat - Deesa is facing acute price crisis with cost of the vegetable dipping to the lowest in a decade. The potato growing farmers and wholesale merchants are crying hoarse over the excess supply of potato from Agra, which has ...

October 15, 2011

Seed potatoes lose attraction in Lahaul-Spiti

As seed potato cultivation failed to fetch good price to the farmers in tribal Lahaul-Spiti, even after putting lot of hard work right from sowing to its selling, tribals have switched over to crop diversification, especially hybrid vegetable varieties...

September 13, 2011

India: Agra growers in distress as potato goes cheap

Farmers in India's potato-growing belt of Agra region, which accounts for more than 30 percent of the country's yield, are in peril as market prices continue to fall below the cost of cultivation. A bumper summer crop has not helped as they are under p...

September 06, 2011

Pepsico India makes Sankrail snack plant hub for new products

PepsiCo India will make its food plant at Sankrail near Kolkata a hub for making newer products as it expands its portfolio of health and nutritious food. "We plan to make this plant as a global benchmark,"PepsiCo India Holdings CEO (Foods) ...

May 03, 2011

Potato Storage near Deesa, Gujarat destroyed by fire

Potatoes worth millions of rupees were gutted in a major fire in the Khedut Cold Storage (KCS), owned by the Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee.

March 01, 2011

GM Potato trial in Punjab causes controversy

A controversy on field trials/multiplication of GM potato at the Central Potato Research Station (CPRS), Jalandhar, has started with activists, farmers unions and medical experts demanding from the Punjab government for immediate ban on these.

February 26, 2011

Showers, hail hit potato crop in Agra (UP, India)

Showers accompanied with hail in some areas lashed Agra district (Uttar Pradesh, India) early Saturday morning, leaving farmers in this potato belt worried for the crop as it could be affected with diseases and yield poor quality.

February 20, 2011

Colder January hits Uttar Pradesh potato crop

Potato production in Uttar Pradesh, the leading potato growing state in India, has been hit by an erratic winter this year.

February 07, 2011

Potatoes to be exported from India to Russia

A clutch of Punjab-based potato farmers are in the final stages of signing a deal with Russian traders for exporting close to 10,000 tonnes of the crop to Russia for the first time.

January 20, 2011

India: Good harvest cools potato prices

Though onion prices are yet to cool down, potato prices have dropped at the retail end. An early good crop of potatoes in Punjab, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh has pushed down the prices.

January 13, 2011

West Bengal: Potato storage conflict ends in dump of rotten potatoes

In West Bengal, 7,000 bags or 4,200 tonnes of potatoes, valued at Rs 50 lakh were left to rot on the open ground today because of a dispute between a cold storage facility and the state government.

January 07, 2011

Late blight attacks potato crop in Punjab

Late blight, a fungal disease, has attacked the potato crop in Punjab, which is a major producer of tuber crop in the country, raising fear of damage to the crop.

January 05, 2011

McDonald's India: in search for the perfect potato for french fries

Soon after setting shop in India, McDonalds’ Vikram Bakshi knew he had a problem — the signature French Fries weren’t right. It took him nine years and several experiments to get it right: Name: Vikram BakshiDesignation: CEO, McDonalds India (North...