BHUBANESWAR: In a bid to cut dependence on West Bengal and other states for potato, which has been frequently leading to market scarcity and high prices in Odisha, the BJP government has initiated a move to revive the State Potato Mission to bring in self-sufficiency in tuber production.
The Potato Mission launched by the BJD government a decade back was a massive failure due to various reasons including lack of incentives for farmers and absence of cold storage facilities in the state.
As a first step, the state government has directed the Odisha State Seeds Corporation (OSSC) to procure 1.87 lakh quintals of certified potato seeds. The corporation has already placed the order to reputed traders of Punjab and Uttar Pradesh for supply of 1.77 lakh quintals of seeds. Horticulture director Nikhil Pawan Kalyan had also gone to the two states to check the quality of seeds to be supplied by the traders who have been selected through a tender process.
Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare minister Krushna Chandra Patra on Thursday said 1.77 lakh quintals of potato seeds have been positioned in different districts and the supply will start from October 14. The government has planned to go for potato cultivation in an area of 14,423 hectares in the rabi season and more areas will be covered in phases after construction of cold storages in all the sub-divisions.
“Steps are being taken to fulfil the commitment of constructing 58 cold storages in equal number of sub-divisions,” he said.
The minister said that BJD government had launched the potato mission but failed to implement it in a proper manner. The mission was launched in 2014-15. A task force formed for the purpose had recommend to provide incentives to farmers for cultivating potato in cluster areas which was proposed to be increased from 5,000 ha in 2014-15 to 20,000 ha in 2017-18. The mission failed to take off as farmers were reluctant to venture into commercial production of potato in the absence of cold storage facilities.
Patra also hailing the decision of the Centre for free supply of fortified rice till 2028 and said eligible people not covered under the National Food Security Act will be provided the rice free of cost by the state government. It will take another 10 to 15 days for e-KYC verification of the ration cards in circulation, he added.