potato farmer

 Slumping potato fees hit farmers, however worse is yet to return

Hit with the aid of low wholesale fees, potato farmers in Uttar Pradesh and Punjab have now not been capable of get better even the manufacturing fee of the crop as marketplace rate of potatoes crashed by 39-50 in step with cent in December 2018, suggests the state-of-the-art document at the crop by means of the department of Agriculture Cooperation and Farmers Welfare.

Round Rs 9-12 in step with kg is spent on potato farming, but, of this, Rs 6-8 per kg is manufacturing cost and Rs three-4 per kg is spent on harvesting, packaging, bloodless garage and transportation. The file indicates that whilst farmers in Punjab have been compelled to promote their crop for Rs four in keeping with kg, those in Uttar Pradesh bought potatoes at Rs 6.7 per kg remaining month. In November 2018, the wholesale charge of potatoes become Rs 7 in step with kg in Punjab and Rs eleven according to kg in Uttar Pradesh.

The common rate of potatoes additionally crashed via nearly 33 in keeping with cent in the beyond five years (among 2012-13 and 2017-18). For the duration of this era, the dip become the most in October (a hundred and fifteen in line with cent).

Cold storages in trouble

Whilst farmers struggle to promote their new produce, they also have huge amount of shares lying in bloodless storages. As many as 660 bloodless storages in Punjab can shop up to 21.Fifty five lakh metric tonnes, but the production this year became greater than 25.15 lakh metric tonnes. The low costs have made it unfeasible for them to pay for his or her potatoes in these storages and that they prefer to go away them over there.  

The state of affairs in Uttar Pradesh too is not any one of a kind. Thinking about this, the bloodless storages have even extended the cut-off date for withdrawal of potatoes from their bloodless storages. For example, the owners of cold storages in Agra have prolonged the cut-off date for withdrawal of potatoes through per week. However farmers aren't keen on taking back their potatoes thanks to the winning low wholesale prices.

Massive disaster looms

On a mean, every bloodless shop has 10,000-15,000 baggage (50,000- seventy five,000 kg) of potato and potato seeds stored. With just forty in step with cent of the potato crop harvested so far, the situation is anticipated to get worse. Potato seeds, which shape nearly 60 according to cent of the entire produce in Punjab, can be harvested in March and kept in bloodless stores to deliver to different states for the duration of the 12 months.

However declining call for for potato seeds from states like West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh will in addition upload to the woes of potato farmers in Punjab.  Those states now produce enough for his or her desires and might not select to buy from Punjab.  Additionally they locate the cost of the seeds too excessive and prohibitive.

No stabilisation

The previous couple of years have witnessed a surplus production of potatoes in Punjab that have no longer been directly transported to other states. As a result, potato growers have been pressured to sell their crop at throwaway costs.

In August 2018, Punjab government had introduced formation of a fee stabilisation fund, the cause of which become to intrude in case of steep fall in costs of the produce and ensure that state farmers get minimal help charge (MSP). But not a whole lot has occurred in this front.

The state has been recording surplus potato anufacturing for the reason that last few years and could have helped the growers by means of facilitating transportation of their boom to different states like Andhra Pradesh and Rajasthan that have high demand. However this has now not been executed.

The authorities has ambitious plans of doubling farmer’s profits, however without doubling the income of agricultural produce, it's far extraordinarily difficult to boom a profits. Within this context, a parliamentary committee has seriously analysed and given exact guidelines within the larger hobby of our farmers.

The agriculture ministry inside the ongoing parliament session on January four, 2019, recounted that the deliver-call for imbalance has led to distress sale and decrease remuneration to potato farmers. But mere acknowledgement is not sufficient and our farmers want pressing and effective actions on the floor.

Potato is grown in more than 100 countries, under temperate, subtropical and tropical situations. It is essentially a "cool weather crop", with temperature being the primary proscribing element on manufacturing: tuber growth is sharply inhibited in temperatures beneath 10°C (50°F) and above 30°C (86°F), while most excellent yields are obtained in which imply day by day temperatures are within the 18 to 20°C (64 to 68°F) variety.

Because of this, potato is planted in early spring in temperate zones and overdue wintry weather in warmer areas, and grown all through the coolest months of the year in warm tropical climates. In a few sub-tropical highlands, moderate temperatures and excessive sun radiation permit farmers to develop potatoes in the course of the 12 months, and harvest tubers within ninety days of planting (in temperate climates, such in northern Europe, it could absorb to one hundred fifty days).

The potato is a completely accommodating and adaptable plant, and could produce properly without perfect soil and developing situations. However, it's also problem to quantity of pests and illnesses. To prevent the build-up of pathogens inside the soil, farmers keep away from growing potato on the equal land from 12 months to year. Alternatively, they develop potato in rotations of 3 or extra years, alternating with different, distinctive plants, together with maize, beans and alfalfa. Plants susceptible to the identical pathogens as potato (e.G. Tomato) are prevented in order to interrupt potato pests' development cycle.

With correct agricultural practices, consisting of irrigation while essential, a hectare of potato within the temperate climates of northern Europe and North america can yield greater than forty tonnes of clean tubers within 4 months of planting. In maximum growing countries, however, common yields are tons lower - ranging from as little as 5 tonnes to twenty-five tonnes - as a result of lack of high best seed and improved cultivars, lower rates of fertilizer use and irrigation, and pest and disease issues.

Soil and land guidance

The potato may be grown almost on any sort of soil, besides saline and alkaline soils. Naturally free soils, which offer the least resistance to enlargement of the tubers, are desired, and loamy and sandy loam soils which are rich in organic count number, with appropriate drainage and aeration, are the maximum suitable. Soil with a pH variety of five.2-6.4 is taken into consideration perfect.

Growing potatoes entails full-size ground training. The soil wishes to be harrowed until completely freed from weed roots. In most cases, 3 ploughings, together with frequent harrowing and rolling, are wished before the soil reaches a suitable condition: soft, well-tired and well-aerated.

Planting

The potato crop is generally grown not from seed but from "seed potatoes" - small tubers or portions of tuber sown to a intensity of 5 to ten cm. Purity of the cultivars and healthful seed tubers are important for a a success crop. Tuber seed must be ailment-unfastened, well-sprouted and from 30 to 40 g each in weight. Use of suitable nice industrial seed can increase yields with the aid of 30 to 50 percent, in comparison to farmers' personal seed, however anticipated earnings should offset the higher cost.

The planting density of a row of potatoes relies upon on the dimensions of the tubers chosen, while the inter-row spacing need to allow for ridging of the crop (see under). Typically, about  tonnes of seed potatoes are sown per hectare. For rainfed production in dry areas, planting on flat soil offers better yields (thanks to better soil water conservation), whilst irrigated plants are especially grown on ridges.

Stages in crop improvement

1. Planted seed tuber

2. Vegetative boom

3. Tuber initiation

4. Tuber bulking

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Crop care

During the improvement of the potato canopy, which takes about four weeks, weeds must be controlled in an effort to supply the crop a "aggressive benefit". If the weeds are large, they ought to be eliminated earlier than ridging operations start. Ridging (or "earthing up") consists of mounding the soil from between the rows around the primary stem of the potato plant. Ridging continues the plants upright and the soil unfastened, prevents insect pests one of these tuber moth from reaching the tubers; and enables prevent the increase of weeds.

After earthing up, weeds between the developing plant life and on the pinnacle of the ridge are eliminated routinely or the use of herbicides. Ridging have to be performed  or 3 instances at an interval of 15 to twenty days. The primary must be performed whilst the vegetation are approximately 15-25 cm excessive; the second one is often accomplished to cover the developing tubers.

Manuring and fertilization

The usage of chemical fertilizer relies upon on the extent of to be had soil vitamins - volcanic soils, as an example, are commonly poor in phosphorus - and in irrigated business manufacturing, fertilizer requirements are tremendously excessive. However, potato can benefit from utility of natural manure at the start of a brand new rotation - it gives an awesome nutrient stability and keeps the structure to the soil. Crop fertilization requirements need to be efficiently estimated in line with the predicted yield, the capability of the variety and the intended use of the harvested crop.

Water deliver

The soil moisture content ought to be maintained at a quite excessive stage. For first-class yields, a one hundred twenty to one hundred fifty day crop requires from 500 to 700 mm (20 to 27.Five inches) of water. In popular, water deficits inside the center to past due part of the growing period tend to lessen yield more than the ones inside the early part. Where deliver is limited, water is directed in the direction of maximizing yield in step with hectare rather than being carried out over a larger location.

Because the potato has a shallow root machine, yield response to common irrigation is vast, and very high yields are acquired with mechanized sprinkler systems that refill evapotranspiration losses each one or  days. Under irrigation in temperate and subtropical climates, a crop of about 120 days can produce yields of 25 to 35 tonnes/ha (eleven to 15.6 heaps per acre), falling to fifteen to twenty-five tonnes/ha (6.6 to 15.6 heaps per acre) in tropical areas.

Pests and diseases

Towards sicknesses, some basic precautions – crop rotation, the use of tolerant varieties and wholesome, licensed seed tubers - can assist avoid super losses. There may be no chemical control for bacterial and viral illnesses but they may be controlled by using regular tracking (and while important, spraying) of their aphid vectors. The severity of fungal illnesses such as past due blight depends, after the primary contamination, particularly on the weather - staying power of beneficial conditions, with out chemical spraying, can quick spread the disorder.

Insect pests can wreak havoc in a potato patch. Recommended control measures include everyday tracking and steps to shield the pests' herbal enemies. Even harm because of the Colorado Potato Beetle, a major pest, may be decreased through destroying beetles, eggs and larvae that appear early in the season, even as sanitation, crop rotations and use of resistant potato sorts help save you the unfold of nematodes.

Harvesting

Yellowing of the potato plant's leaves and smooth separation of the tubers from their stolons indicate that the crop has reached maturity. If the potatoes are to be saved in place of ate up right away, they are left in the soil to permit their skins to thicken - thick skins prevent storage sicknesses and shrinkage because of water loss. But, leaving tubers for too lengthy inside the ground increases their publicity to a fungal incrustation called black scurf.

To facilitate harvesting, the potato vines have to be removed  weeks before the potatoes are dug up. Depending on the size of production, potatoes are harvested the usage of a spading fork, a plough or commercial potato harvesters that unearth the plant and shake or blow the soil from the tubers. During harvesting, it's miles critical to avoid bruising or other damage, which offer entry points for storage sicknesses.

Storage

For the reason that newly harvested tubers are residing tissue – and therefore challenge to deterioration - proper storage is critical, each to save you post-harvest losses of potatoes destined for sparkling intake or processing, and to assure an good enough deliver of seed tubers for the next cropping season.

For ware and processing potatoes, garage targets at preventing "greening" (the increase of chlorophyll underneath the peel, that's associated with solanine, a probably toxic alkaloid) and losses in weight and pleasant. The tubers have to be stored at a temperature of 6 to eight°C tiers, in a dark, well-ventilated environment with high relative humidity (85 to 90 percentage). Seed tubers are saved, alternatively, below subtle mild if you want to keep their germination capability and inspire development of vigorous sprouts. In regions, inclusive of northern Europe, with simplest one cropping season and wherein garage of tubers from one season to the subsequent is tough with out using expensive refrigeration, low season planting may offer an answer.