India’s potato production increases 51% to 52.5 MT in over a decade: Agriculture Minister

30 Jan 2020 Evaluate

Union Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar has said potato production of India increased 51% to 52.5 million tonnes (MT) in over a decade. Its production had stood at 34.7 MT in 2008. He pegged the potato output to grow about 3% annually till 2050. He added that the production of potato rose 34 times in seven decades while the area under cultivation grew by 9.3 times.

India is the second-largest producer of potato after China in the world. Together, both the countries contribute 38% to the world's total potato production. Tomar further said the country also needs to increase the crop's exports.

He expressed concerned over crop losses, saying the damage to the crop currently stands at 16 per cent that needs to be reduced. He also said that experts and researchers will have to find a way out to develop high-quality and disease-resistant variety of potato seed which would consume less water and meet the challenges of global warming.

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