Bhubaneswar: The International Potato Centre (CIP), based in Lima in Peru, has evinced keen interest to help Odisha to enhance its potato production, which is facing a big crisis in meeting the demands for potato.

CIP's Asia regional director Samarendu Mohanty said: "Our basic aim is to achieve food security on a sustained basis in developing countries through scientific research and related activities on potato, sweet potato, other root and tuber crops along with improved management of natural resources."

Mohanty said: "We are in touch with the Odisha government and are ready to provide technical knowhow to enhance potato production here. We will support through our precious scientific research findings converted into productive action in the field for income, food and nutrition security of the people of the state."

He said one of the major constraints to potato production in the state was unavailability of good-quality seeds. "Keeping it in mind, we have decided to launch the Kufrilima, the draught and heat resistant seeds in the state," he said, adding that there was a need to attempt collaborative approach to extend potato cultivation with internationally-acclaimed research-generated innovations and farming practices through cross-country learning actions carried out by expert organisations doing the same across the globe.

Mohanty said: "We are also aware of the 10 climatic zones of the state. We can also come out with other seeds. But seed potato production in the state carries utmost importance to boost potato production by providing quality seeds to the farmers."

In Odisha, the production of potato meets only about 20 per cent of the state's requirement. While the state's annual potato requirement is about 10 lakh metric tonnes, it produces only about 2 lakh to 2.5 lakh metric tonnes of potato a year.

Mohanty also said: "No one becomes diabetic by eating potato. It plays an important role in providing nutritious food to the people, especially to the people in the backward region who cannot afford nutritious food. Potato has a lot of nutrient value."