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Odisha has been growing potatoes sporadically in minuscule quantities for decades. By the time I joined the Bonai subdivision as SDO in 1969, the cooperative cold storage at Rajamunda had been out of order and was being used by the RCMS (Regional Cooperative Marketing Society) as a godown and potato farmers dependent on this modest support infrastructure had stopped growing potatoes though the agro-climatic conditions were suitable for potato cultivation. In some other areas like Bayalis Mouza, Satasankha, and Bahugram, farmers’ interest in potatoes continued for a longer period of time but the economy of scale was never achieved.
On the whole, Odisha’s tryst with potato cultivation has never blossomed into a lasting and robust relationship. Storage of potatoes was sought to be achieved through a few cold storages only in the cooperative sector. Few, however, survived. Private entrepreneurship was shy entering the area. Potato remained almost a household backyard passion in many cases. No planner, no advocacy group, and no farmer organisation took up the cause of potato as a desirable cash crop for the economic benefit of Odisha farmers.
Traditionally, potato cultivation flourished in the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal. Production of potato in India during the last 73 years since 1950-51 has been phenomenal. It grew from 1.66 million tonnes in 1950-51 to 53.39 million tonne in 2021-22. Area under potato grew from just 2.44 lakh ha in 1950-51 to 22 lakh ha in 2021-22. Productivity improved from 7 tonnes to over 24 tonnes per ha during this period. India is now the second largest producer of potato, next to China. The country sometimes imports small quantities.
West Bengal grows over 12 million tonnes, next to Uttar Pradesh where production is over 16 million tonnes. West Bengal, however, registers much higher productivity—33.2 tonnes per hectare. While Bihar produces over 9 million tonnes, both Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh produce over 3.5 million tonnes and Punjab, 2.85 mt. Haryana, Assam, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh produce individually between 6.5 lakh and 7.8 lakh tonnes. Odisha’s production is estimated at around a lakh tonne and the state traditionally depended entirely on West Bengal to meet its demand of about 13 lakh tonnes.
Enhancing production from the existing base of about 1 lakh to even 7 lakh tons (Assam, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh or Haryana level) means a different kind of ball game Odisha never played in 24 years —a long era that witnessed a lackadaisical approach to governance by people who mattered. This situation weakened our farmers’ capability to be entrepreneurial. The consequence shows clearly in widespread indifferent farming, extensive rice fallows and marginal farm mechanisation.
A credible potato production programme can bring in a paradigm change in Odisha’s horticulture sector by establishment of cold chain that an intensified potato production would necessarily bring in. The cold storage entrepreneurs could be game changers by setting up the cold storages in the midst of potato fields, extending input supply support, by purchasing potatoes post-harvest and extending similar support to vegetable growers in the neighbourhood.
The last Potato Mission did not succeed. Reasons are many. Over years, government has grown weaker to lead any transformative agriculture programme in the field. Cooperatives now lack leadership that could have made potato farming a people’s movement. There is no reason why it should not be a people’s programme. Potato is a cash crop. A farmer can harvest 25 tonnes per hectare and earn a good profit over one and half lakh rupees per hectare. It is true input costs are high. In this area, government could improve the existing input assistance amount. The farmer must get timely working capital in the right quantity. High electricity tariffs had remained a constraint. There has been reduction in the tariff but there still remains scope for making the concessional tariff applicable for all types of storage in the cold storage. That would promote the almost non-existent cold storage industry in Odisha.
It would be prudent to take baby steps to revive potato production in Odisha. A two-pronged approach is being suggested here. We should revive all the 17 cold storages in the cooperative sector. All of these should be converted to 5000-ton capacity. This should be done in two years. The host RCMS must be revived and potato cultivation taken up in the command area. A 5000-ton cold storage can have full utilisation from the produce of just 200 hectares. The entire production needs to be purchased from growers. This would make growers free from post-harvest marketing worry and they would be able to immediately take up short duration vegetable cultivation before kharif paddy. The entire revival programme should be funded by the Potato Mission. The other component of the programme is to have extensive potato cultivation in the Eastern Ghats in the regions like Pottangi (Koraput), Kashipur (Rayagada), Thuamul Rampur (Kalahandi), Balliguda (Kandhamal), Bonei (Sundargarh), Deogarh, Banspal (Keonjhar) etc. Fifteen Producers’ Companies should be selected for setting up that many cold storages. Besides the assistance (35%) of Horticulture Board, the state’s assistance may also be enhanced to 35 %. The government may work out a special lending arrangement with a PSU Bank to take care of the borrowing requirement both for construction and working capital. These producers’ companies should purchase the total production.
This modest model would take care of just six thousand hectares. Once successful, it would let potato cultivation to grow, it would incentivise new cold storages. The state needs sixty thousand hectares to produce enough potato to meet its requirement. This critical Mission should be handled by the Cooperative Department instead of Agriculture Department. It should be under a wholetime Mission Director with adequate administrative and financial power delegated to him. If the model succeeds, private entrepreneurs would come forward.
It is difficult to predict if the state government would find this model acceptable. It’s more likely they won’t. And the state could as well miss yet another opportunity to let commercial agriculture a chance to succeed.
(DISCLAIMER: This is an opinion piece. The views expressed are the author’s own and have nothing to do with OTV’s charter or views. OTV does not assume any responsibility or liability for the same.)
