India ranks second in the world after China in terms of potato production. According to the portal Statista.com, in 2023, the country harvested about 59,74 million tons of products, which is more than three million tons more than in 2022.
He talks about how Indians manage to achieve such results. Rajveer Singh (Rajvir Singh), Vice President of KF Biotech Pvt Ltd.
KF Biotech Pvt Ltd is a large agro-biotechnological enterprise, part of the Kapur group of companies.
It has two divisions, one specializes in the production of high-quality seed potatoes, the second – in the production of banana planting material.
Every year the company supplies the market with about 50 thousand tons of seed potatoes.
KF Biotech Pvt Ltd has a dedicated, innovative manufacturing facility located in Bangalore, the biotechnology capital of India. Seed plots are mainly concentrated in the state of Punjab, in a zone free from pests of quarantine importance.
From the history
It is believed that potatoes were brought to India by Portuguese sailors in the early 17th century. The spread of the culture was facilitated by the British East India Company: English merchants promoted and stimulated the cultivation and consumption of potatoes among rural communities. The company even exempted the product from transit taxes. The efforts of the colonialists paid off, and the potato was easily integrated into the regional cuisines of India.
Indians love potatoes in any form - fried, stewed, baked. It serves as the main ingredient in the filling of the very popular spicy samosa pies in the country; it is used to prepare the aloo tikki snack, Calcutta biryani and many other dishes.
Production growth
According to the FAO, between 1960 and 2000, potato production in India increased by almost 850%, partly as a result of growing demand from wealthy urban residents. In the 90s, per capita potato consumption increased from 12 to 17 kg per year.
But the achievement of record results was due to the expansion of areas rather than an increase in yields.
Peculiarities of growing
Potatoes are grown in 23 states of India, but the bulk of production (about 74%) is concentrated in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar.
Almost a third of the country's total potato crop is harvested in Uttar Pradesh, which has favorable weather conditions, fertile soil and extensive agricultural infrastructure.
The climatic conditions of most regions of the country allow for only one potato harvest per year. The exception is Punjab, where in some parts farmers harvest two crops, but due to water shortages the government discourages this practice.
Potatoes are often grown in rotation with other crops, usually rice and wheat.
Potato planting usually takes place from October to November, harvesting from February to March.
The average size of a potato farm is 5 to 10 acres (approximately 2,025 to 4,05 hectares). But this crop is also grown by large agricultural enterprises.
Large farmers in Punjab use planting and harvesting machines, while in states like West Bengal and Bihar all farming operations are done manually.
For irrigation, farmers use their own wells, as well as water from irrigation canals. In some states like Gujarat, potatoes are grown under drip irrigation.
Potato varieties
Farmers mainly grow Indian table varieties developed by the Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-Central Potato Research Institute).
For reference: The Central Potato Research Institute is located in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh. The objectives of the institute include conducting fundamental, strategic and applied research to improve the sustainability, productivity, and quality of potatoes; obtaining healthy seed material of varieties developed by the institute.
The choice of varieties is quite wide; over the past few years, 65 new ones have been created, of which 33 are resistant to various biotic and abiotic stresses, and eight are suitable for industrial processing. At the same time, 23 varieties currently occupy up to 95% of the planting area allocated for potatoes in the country.
Preferences among Indians regarding the choice of variety (skin color, pulp color) vary depending on the region. Thus, in West Bengal, people like red-skinned potatoes, while in other states, priority is given to white-skinned potatoes with white or light yellow flesh.
Some of the most popular in the country include Kufri Sindhuri, Kufri Chipsona, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Jyoti, Kufri Jawahar and others. There are special varieties for processing: K Frysona, K Chipsona 1, K Chipsona 2, K Chipsona 3 and K Fryom, etc.
Private companies are also introducing foreign varieties into the Indian market.
New breeding methods
In 2010, biotechnologists from the National Plant Genome Research Institute in New Delhi announced the creation of genetically modified potatoes that contain 60% more protein than conventional tubers.
The developers used the AmA1 gene from the amaranth plant, which has been eaten for centuries in Central America and Asia. The scientists noted that they were faced with the task of obtaining an affordable source of protein, since legumes, fish or soybeans are much more expensive than potatoes.
At the end of 2023, the Minister of Biotechnology of India, Dr. Manju Sharma, emphasized that the results of three years of field trials of potatoes with increased protein content were very encouraging and the new product could be approved for commercial cultivation in the near future.
But this policy has enough opponents. Opponents argue that using genetically modified potatoes will ignore traditional sources of protein and thus worsen deficiencies of an important nutrient.
It is worth noting that India has not yet approved the use of genetically modified food in the country. Earlier in 2023, the government refused to supply several thousand tons of genetically modified soy mixture from the United States.
Storage and sale of potatoes
After harvesting, small farmers sell potatoes at vegetable markets or hand them over to processing plants. As a rule, potatoes are sold in a “dirty” form; only a few manufacturers package the products before selling them to supermarkets.
Large manufacturers put their products into storage. Potato storage facilities equipped with refrigeration equipment allow you to maintain high quality goods for 10-12 months. The average capacity of potato storage is 5 thousand tons.
The situation with the provision of storage space has been improving in recent years, as new high-tech warehouses are being actively built in the main potato production areas.
Problems of potato growers
Farmers in India face the same challenges as farmers in other countries around the world. The industry suffers from a shortage of quality seed potatoes at an affordable price. Crop losses are caused by the spread of diseases (late blight, bacterial wilt, common scab, root rot) and pests (cyst nematodes).
But the main thing is that the profitability of potato production is falling. Over the past 20 years, the cost of growing crops has doubled, but prices for the final product have not changed. The situation is especially difficult in years when, due to favorable weather conditions, farmers receive higher yields.
State support programs for farmers
The state provides farmers with large subsidies for the creation of irrigation systems, partially compensates for the costs of electricity and fertilizers, provides financial support during periods of overproduction, encourages producers to export their products by paying them transportation costs, etc. There are special support programs for farmers engaged in organic agriculture farming
Recycling
Until the early 90s, potato processing in the country was completely undeveloped. Then, with the start of active activity of transnational corporations and the emergence of local players in the market, the industry rapidly took off and demonstrated enormous growth over 10 years. Currently, 6 to 8% of the total potato production in India is processed. And processed products (chips, French fries) are becoming increasingly popular in the country, especially among young people.
In India there are giant factories of such famous world companies as McCain, Hyfun, Funwave, Pepsico. They source raw materials from all potato growing states such as Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, West Bengal.
In the fall of 2023, PepsiCo announced the start of construction of a new plant for the production of Lay's chips in India. Investments in the production site, which will be located in the state of Assam, will amount to about $95 million.
Small private enterprises producing potato products, the range of which is constantly expanding, also make their contribution to the development of processing. For example, thin potato cookies with the taste of chips have appeared on the market.
Export
India exports seed potatoes to various countries such as Russia, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Turkey, Senegal, Bangladesh and Nepal.
In addition, potato processing products are supplied abroad. Let's take French fries as an example. Back in 2007, India annually imported 6 thousand tons of these products, and in 2019 the country already exported 30 thousand tons of frozen potatoes. Today, India supplies the bulk of these products to the Philippines. India also exports potato chips, mainly to Japan and the Middle East.
Growing potatoes in India poses many challenges, but experts believe the crop will remain promising and profitable for farmers. The key to this is the active development of the processing sector. The country is witnessing a steady increase in demand for a variety of potato products, and against this backdrop, its future looks promising.