Date:14/02/2007 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2007/02/14/stories/2007021401131100.htm

Back Potato R&D: Minister seeks CPRI branch in Kolkata

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Minister calls to CPRI to set up branch in State

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Kolkata Feb. 13 Conceding the need to help raise potato production in West Bengal, especially of the disease-resistant varieties (blight-free) in a big way, the State Agriculture Minister, Mr Naren De, said here today that there was an urgent need to set up a branch of the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI), Shimla, in Bengal for development of seeds varieties.

He also stressed on a total approach with regard to potato marketing. An expert committee has already been set up under the Marketing Department to study the problems of the potato sector in the State.

Blight menace

West Bengal today produces 80 lakh tonnes of potato annually, out of which some 52 lakh tonnes are held in the cold storages numbering around 390, spread across the State. Bengal is the second largest producer of potato, after Uttar Pradesh.

Speaking at the inaugural session of the 42nd annual general meeting of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, the Minister said potato crop in North Bengal was being affected by blight (caused by fungi, pests etc), and steps need to be taken with the help of science and technology to not only protect the crop but also raise production for benefit of the farmers, who were not getting remunerative prices.

Pointing out that it was not enough to merely take technology from lab to land, he said it was more important to reach it to the doorsteps of the farmer. Stating that farmers' training was being carried out in full swing at the KVKs (Krishi Vidyalaya Kendras) in the State, he said science and technology was a must in modern agriculture.

In the context of potato prices, he said it was important to market the produce in an effective manner to support lakhs of jobs, both directly and indirectly.

According to Mr Sushanta Ghosh, State Minister for Pascimanchal Unnayan & Affairs Department, there was need for greater coordination between the State Agriculture Department and its various other wings such as marketing and food processing, each of which now has a separate minister.

Raise consumption

Sounding an ominous note on why potato production can get stagnated in the State owing to lack of timely technological inputs, he said the need of the hour was to start a campaign for increased consumption of potato across the State as a health-boosting vegetable.

Lamenting that nothing substantial was happening in terms of introduction of improved varieties of potato seeds, he said farm research in Bengal as far as potato crop was concerned was yet to take off. He too sought a branch of CPRI, Shimla, in Bengal without any further delay.