Goals and objectives of the Indian potato industry

After accounting for rapid growth of potato processing due to estimated fast economic development of India, lower proportionate requirement for seed (due to higher productivity), rise in per capita consumption of fresh potato (rapid urbanisation, future role of potato in food security and fast economic development) and as a result of ongoing efforts to lower proportionate PHLs, the estimated demand of potatoes in 2050 would be about 122 million t. However, making provisions for un-estimated demand for future for other industrial uses, animal feed and expanded exports etc. the total demand of Indian potato is expected to be 125 million t(Table 5). The WOFOST model estimates that potato yield during 2050 would be 34.51 t/ha, and in order to meet demand for Indian potatoes we would need 3.62 million ha of area under the crop. In order to meet the said targets the estimated potato yield in years 2020, 2030 and 2040 is 22.37, 25.8 and 29.83 t/ha, respectively. Increased emphasis on breeding short duration potato varieties (in order to fit in between rice and wheat) and area adjustment under the influence of relative profitability as dictated by the price (demand and supply) scenario are expected to achieve this additional area in the situation of rather scarce cultivable land in India.

Table 5 Potato production, productivity and area estimates for 2050.

Environmental Safety

CPRI has assigned very high priority to the efficient delivery of inputs in its future R&D agenda in the form of precision management of nutrients (including the secondary nutrients) and water (micro irrigation). Balanced and efficient fertilizer use has to be supplemented with increasing soil organic matter contents through soil carbon sequestration supported by incorporation of crop residues, green manuring, application of FYM, compost, vermi-compost, bio-fertilizers and other bio-digested products.