Lok Sabha Question No. 2213 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-03-15
Subject: Potato Seeds
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: Keshari Devi Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURAL RESEARCH & EDUCATION

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2213

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 15 TH  MARCH, 2022

## POTATO SEEDS

†2213. SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of the improved varieties of potato seeds along with the steps taken to make them easily available to farmers;
- (b) whether the Government has taken any steps to provide high-yielding improved varieties of potato seeds to the farmers and run any training programme regarding care, production and storage of the said crop in Phulpur Parliamentary Constituency of Prayagraj district and the nearby districts where potato is produced in large quantity; and
- (c) if so, the number of farmers trained under the said programme and the details thereof?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ षि और ककसान कल्याण मंत्री (SHRI NARENDRA SINGH TOMAR)

(a) Indian  Council  of  Agricultural  Research-Central  Potato  Research  Institute  (ICARCPRI), Shimla has developed following 18 improved Potato varieties for which breeder seed is produced as per demand/indent:

| Kufri Anand      | Kufri Bahar   | Kufri Chipsona-1   |
|------------------|---------------|--------------------|
| Kufri Chipsona-3 | Kufri Frysona | Kufri Khyati       |
| Kufri Pukhraj    | Kufri Surya   | Kufri Mohan        |
| Kufri Garima     | Kufri Lima    | Kufri Neelkhanth   |
| Kufri Jyoti      | Kufri Badshah | Kufri Chandramukhi |
| Kufri Sindhuri   | Kufri Lauvkar | Kufri Ganga        |

Steps taken to increase availability of seeds to farmers are:

- i. Seed  Division, Department  of  Agriculture and  Farmers  Welfare,  Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Government of India requests State governments to place the breeder seed indent of all Agriculture and Vegetable crops (including potato) varieties one year in advance.
- ii. Breeder seed of different potato varieties is produced as per indent forwarded to Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) for its production. After production,

breeder seeds of indented varieties are allocated to State Governments/indenters for further multiplication into foundation seed (FS) and then certified seed (CS) for its distribution to the farmers.

- iii. As agriculture being a State subject, the role of the State Government is critical in the planning,  production,  availability  and  distribution  of  seeds  to  the  farmers.  The government of India supplements the efforts of the State Governments  by coordinating seed requirement and availability among the states through Zonal Seed Review Meeting held before every crop season, by a weekly  video conference on inputs availability as well as the bi-yearly National Kharif and Rabi campaign meeting to timely meet the any shortfall of certified/quality seeds in the states.

(b) Last  year  (2020-21),  a  quantity  of  6664.19.00  q  of  Breeder  seed  of  eight  potato varieties  namely  Kufri  Mohan,  Kufri  Frysona,  Kufri  Anand,  Kufri  Chipsona-1,  Kufri Chipsona-3, Kufri Bahar, Kufri Kyati and Kufri Pukhraj as per allotment of DoAFW was supplied  to  Department  of  Horticulture  and  Food  Processing,  Govt.  of  Uttar  Pradesh, Lucknow and Meerut for further multiplication in State Government farms for production of Foundation / Certified seed.

Training programme on potato production and storage is imparted by Indian Council of Agricultural Research-Central Potato Research Institute (ICAR-CPRI), Shimla and its Regional Research Station at Modipuram (ICAR-CPRIRS) on regular basis.   Besides, ICAR-All  India  Coordinated  Research  Project  on  Potato  (ICAR-AICRPP)  centres  at Kumarganj and Kanpur also impart such training to the farmers. However, farmers from Phulpur Parliamentary Constituency of Prayagraj district and nearby districts attend the training programme on regular basis at ICAR-CPRI, RS, Modipuram (UP).

(c) A total of 429 and 564 farmers from Uttar Pradesh were given training on cultivation and storage of potato during the year 2020-21 and 2021-22, respectively by ICAR-CPRI Regional Research Station at Modipuram.

*****