India: CPRI Gwalior Readies 600 Quintals of Seed Potatoes for Five Districts of Madhya Pradesh
The Central Potato Research Institute station in Gwalior has prepared 600 quintals of seed of Kufri Surya, Kufri Pukhraj and Kufri Sangam for farmers in five districts for rabi planting.
The Gwalior station of the ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) has prepared 600 quintals of improved seed potatoes for the rabi season. The Hindi newspaper Patrika reported this on 28 September 2026. The seed will go to farmers in five districts of Madhya Pradesh: Dewas, Shivpuri, Tikamgarh, Panna and Sagar.
The station selected three varieties, Patrika reported. Kufri Surya is an early variety that tolerates heat. Kufri Pukhraj is a popular high-yielding variety. Kufri Sangam has good taste and stores well, and the report describes it as resistant to disease. The seed is kept in cold stores at Krishi Vigyan Kendras, the farm science centres, until distribution.
Dr Subhash Katare, head of the CPRI centre in Gwalior, told the newspaper that farmers will receive the seed in October and November, which is the planting time for the rabi potato crop. The report says the seed will help farmers grow a crop free from diseases. It did not give the price of the seed or its certification class.
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Seed supply in central India
Madhya Pradesh is not one of the largest potato states in India, but potatoes are an important rabi crop in several of its districts. Farmers there often depend on seed from other states. Old or infected seed is a common reason for low yields. Research stations such as CPRI Gwalior produce disease-free seed and pass it to farmers through Krishi Vigyan Kendras and state departments.
By our calculation, 600 quintals equals 60 tonnes of seed. This is a small amount compared with the total seed needs of the state. It is enough, however, to start seed multiplication and demonstration plots in the five districts.
Why it matters
Clean seed is one of the cheapest ways to raise potato yields. Kufri Surya is useful for areas with warm autumns, where many varieties struggle. Kufri Pukhraj is already widely grown in India, so farmers know it.
If the seed reaches farmers on time for planting in October and November, the five districts can build a local source of better seed. That can reduce their dependence on seed from distant states in future seasons.
Photo: Potato plants in a field in India (illustrative). Trikutdas / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
