The State Government on Thursday has formulated a long-term strategy for potato and onion production to make the State self-sufficient.
The ambitious road map for four years was prepared by the Horticulture Directorate in the wake of short supply of tuber and onion and their skyrocketing prices.
As per the strategy paper, it is targeted to produce an estimated 17 lakh MT of onion per annum both during Kharif and Rabi seasons by expanding the onion cultivation areas to one lakh hectares in a phased manner by 2017-18.
At present, the total area covered under onion is around 35,000 hectares. Presently, the production of onion in the State is around 4 lakh MT per annum. It is also proposed to enhance storage capacity of onion by 3.45 lakh MT by 2017-18 at farmers' level.
However, the strategy paper pointed out that the State has the opportunity for onion production in 62 lakh hectares.
There is a vast scope to utilise 40,000 hectares of high and medium lands. It is proposed to form a State level onion federation on the pattern of OMFED for sustainable procurement and distribution of the essential product.
The Government would encourage formation of onion producer groups, cooperatives, producer companies by involving NGOs, farmers associations and other professional bodies for onion farming and marketing of the product.
These resource institutions will impart need based training and take up group formation and organisation of producer companies. Other groups like SHGs and Pani Panchaayats shall also be encouraged for onion production and marketing.
It has also been decided to involve around one lakh farmers in onion cultivation and seed production by 2017-18. For increasing production, modern farm mechanization would also be taken up. The weaknesses and threats in the onion cultivation like lack of experience in cultivation, inadequate storage facility, lack of adequate technical manpower in village level and timely availability of good quality seeds were also discussed.
Similarly, potato being a major vegetable, the Horticulture Directorate in its attempt to achieve self sufficiency in the next five years has targeted to expand the cultivation of tuber to 10.50 lakh hectares of land in phased manner.
While the potato production in the State at present is around 2 lakh MT per annum, the State needs 9.72 lakh MT and the requirement of potato would be around 10.40 lakh MT by 2018-19. The five year road map also provides for arranging awareness, training, exposure visit , supply of critical inputs like seeds, micronutrients and fertilizers etc, adoption of drip and sprinkler irrigation system and cultivation of short duration of paddy to keep the land free by October and November every year.
Potato being a highly perishable crop needs immediate cold storage. So the State has decided to create 144 cold storages in phases with 5,000 MT capacity each. The Government would also provide agriculture credit for potato cultivation and try to set up processing industries. Since the cultivation, storage, distribution and marketing of potatoes involve active co-operation and involvement from many departments, the roadmap also lays stress on inter-departmental co-ordination comprising Agriculture, Cooperation, Food Supply and Consumer Welfare, Energy, Industries, MSME, Water Resources and ST and SC department. The strategy has given importance to involve tribal farmers in the potato cultivation.
