The country’s potato production is estimated to be around 47 million tonnes this year, just below the all-time high witnessed in 2014. The output stood at 43.4 million tonnes in 2015-16 crop year (July-June), while the last record was 48 million tonnes achieved in 2014-15. India is the second largest producer (after China) of potatoes in the world.
National Horticulture Board (NHB) managing director AK Singh said that the overall output will be close to record levels. “Potato output would be around 47 million tonnes this year,” Singh said. “Initially, NHB had projected 43.88 million tonnes output for this year. But this will be revised after assessing the arrival,” Singh added.
Singh further said that total area under potato was more or less at last year’s level. But, good weather conditions coupled with recent unseasonal rains just before the harvest gave boost to the crop prospect and improved yields, he said.
Gujarat’s Banaskantha has taken number one rank in the country. Union agriculture ministry’s ‘District-wise Estimation of Production and Area of Fruits, Vegetables and Crops in India’ has revealed that Banaskantha has produced 17.10 lakh MT of potatoes, which is 9% of the total production in the country.
Banaskantha is followed by Agra which has produced 15.84 lakh MT of potatoes. According to the data, the area of sowing was the highest in Muzaffarpur in Bihar, while Banaskantha was ranked third in the country on this count with a sowing area of 52,800 hectares. In Muzaffarpur, sowing took up 85,500 hectares. However, when it comes to production, Banaskantha was leading the chart.
The crop condition in Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar — the top three potato producing states — is in very good condition. As per the state data, the output in Uttar Pradesh — the country’s top potato producing State — is projected to be higher at 15 million tonnes this year as against 13.8 million tonnes last year, he added.
Given the scale of potato production in UP the Centre has started procurement operation to ensure farmers avoid distressed sale, he said. The output in West Bengal and Bihar is also expected to be better than last year. In 2015-16, the output stood at 8 million tonnes and 6 million tonnes, respectively, in these two states.