Bhubaneswar, Sept. 1: The Odisha Potato Mission has set a target to increase the production of the tuber to 10 lakh metric tonnes by 2017-18. However, this year it expects a domestic production of 4 lakh metric tonnes.

The state government had launched a Potato Mission on December 27 to attain self-reliance in the production of the tuber.

The state has been facing a shortfall in potato because of shortage in domestic production and last year, Odisha produced two lakh metric tonnes as against the requirement of 11 lakh metric tonnes.

The state had faced a severe potato shortage when Bengal government restricted its supply to Odisha and other states last year. At that time, potato was selling at Rs 60 per kg in the retail market.

The steering committee of the Potato Mission today met to take stock of the situation. The committee was informed that the state was expected to produce 4 lakh metric tonnes this year. The mission had set a target to take up potato cultivation in 20,000 hectares. Chief secretary Gokul Chandra Pati advised the officials to step up the coverage from the existing level of 20,000 hectares to 60,000 hectares by 2017-18.

Pati emphasised on the post-harvest management of potato and directed officials to link potato production clusters with cold storages.

At present 27 cold storages with a storage capacity of 1.32 lakh metric tonnes are operational in the state. Besides, construction of another 20 cold storages is in various stages. State horticulture director S.K. Nanda said that the potato storage capacity of cold storages was expected to touch 3 lakh metric tonnes by June next year.

The steering committee also discussed the production of potato seeds in the state. Agro scientists opined that potato seeds produced in the state would have more tolerance to the local climate in comparison to those procured from outside.

The chief secretary instructed the officials to encourage the farmer to grow potato seeds in the state by giving incentives on the lines of National Horticulture Mission guidelines.

He also advised the officials of Odisha University of Agriculture and Technology to take up a research project to produce the Phulbani variety of potato seeds through government-run Krishi Vigyan Kendras. It was also decided that field demonstration programmes would be taken up for promotion of this local variety of seeds.