News on Potato Varieties and Seed from Asia

As of September 5, Armenian farmers had harvested 210,000 metric tons of potato - 40,000 tons more than the year before, according to the Ministry of Agriculture. The land used for potato cultivation increased this year by 771 hectares to a total of 34,077 hectares.

The Aravan Agro Service in Kyrgyzstan more than doubled its potato yield and profits in 2016 by partnering with the United States through the USAID Agro Horizon project.

The West-Bengal government (India) has recently abandoned its proposed potato processing unit in Hooghly's Sheoraphuli after no private company showed interest in the project.

The Salim Group, one of Indonesia's largest business groups, signed a R&D agreement worth $10 million with seed producer East West Seed Indonesia in The Hague last Friday to boost potato production in Indonesia.

The Odisha State Government on Wednesday signed an MoU with Utkal Tubers India Pvt Ltd to produce quality potato seeds.

Private companies have been urged to launch a multiplication of Dutch potato seeds in Pakistan with a view to reducing input cost of farmers as well as establishing a vibrant seed industry in the country

Scientists in Bangladesh (BARI) have successfully field-tested a genetically modified (GMO) potato resistant to late blight, one of the most devastating potato diseases. Once the regulatory trial is over in February, they will apply for release of the variety.

Yunnan Normal University's plan to set up a Potato Research Institute to strengthen talent development and promote scientific research has sparked a humorous uproar on the Internet.

Prof. Dr. Gungor Yilmaz of the Gaziosmanpaşa University (GOI) Faculty of Agriculture is carrying out a study that will lead to the registration of a new yellow-flesh potato variety called 'Allah diyen sarisi' that may be grown without irrigation due to its exceptional drought-tolerance

La Facultad de Agricultura de la Universidad de Gaziosmanpasa está llevando a cabo la obtención y el registro de la nueva variedad con el apoyo del Consejo de Investigación Científica y Tecnológica de Turquía (TUBITAK).

Armenian potato growers are able to export up to 10 thousand metric tons of seed potatoes to Russia, Hrachya Berberyan, head of the Agrarian and Peasant Union said recently.

The Odisha State Government’s plan to achieve self- sufficiency in seed potato production has gone for a toss with the National Seeds Corporation (NSC) and National Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF) backing out of its commitment to produce quality seeds within the State.

Raising China potato production is of utmost importance. In the coming years a great effort is to be made to meet the increasing demand of potatoes for fresh consumption and for industry.

In the Indian State of Karnataka, the Department of Horticulture has decided to provide certified seed potatoes to 1,000 farmers for pre-monsoon cultivation on a pilot basis.

To strengthen potato research, Punjab will set up a Centre of Excellence for Potato in Jalandhar (potato belt) in collaboration with The Netherlands, Shimla-based Central Potato Research Institute and Punjab Agricultural University

In a meeting on January 6th, the Ministry of Agriculture of China announced plans to double the total area of land devoted to potato cultivation from just over 5 million hectares to 10 million hectares.

Farmers and cold storage owners in India (Agra, UP) have lauded the decision to lift the ban on import of seed potatoes.

The Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute (Bari) and Peru-based International Potato Centre (CIP) will introduce a late blight resistant potato for use in next season: Bari Potato - 46