BHUBANESWAR: The state government has planned to increase the area under potato cultivation to 21,750 hectare during the 2025 rabi crop season, up from 12,374 hectare cultivated in 2024.
The Agriculture department has placed an order of 3.26 lakh quintal of certified potato seeds from the Odisha State Seeds Corporation for supply to farmers. At least 15 quintal of potato seeds will be required per hectare of land. The corporation has started dispatching potato seeds to all the districts from October 30.
Deputy chief minister-cum-Agriculture minister KV Singh Deo said the plan to scale up the area under cultivation was taken in view of the positive response from farmers. The government has made a budgetary provision of Rs 163.85 crore to achieve self-sufficiency in potato cultivation.
With an average production of 200 quintal per hectare, the department is expecting production of around four lakh quintal of potato from the programme area.
“The government had supplied 60,000 quintal potato seeds during kharif and one lakh quintal during rabi last year. The kharif potato cultivation is limited to only three districts of Koraput, Kandhamal and Rayagada,” Singh Deo said.
Sources in the department said the kharif potato cultivation was taken up on 6,500 hectare land in the three districts and yield was more than 150 quintal per hectare. Potato price in the retail market across the state remained stable at Rs 20 per kg this year because of the good kharif production.
Apart from potato, the department has planned to cultivate 600 quintal onion seeds on 6,000 hectare, 100 quintal chillies on 1,000 hectare and 7,500 quintal garlic on 300 hectare land.
“Farmers are requested to contact the number 155333 issued by the Agriculture department or the nearest horticulture officer in case they face shortage of seeds,” the minister added.
