According to Simon Heck, Director General of the Peru-based International Potato Centre, bio-fortified potatoes with high iron content will soon enter the Indian markets. The International Potato Centre is also a major partner of the Shimla-based research school in collaboration with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research. Bio-fortified sweet potatoes rich in Vitamin A have already been made available by the International Potato Centre in states such as Karnataka, Assam, West Bengal and Odisha.
Delivering iron-rich Potato seeds to farmers
Dr. Heck said that now it is the turn of iron in potatoes, and it needs to be adapted to ICAR. The International Potato Centre was established in India in the year 1972. Its South Asia regional Centre is located in Agra. Regarding bio-fortification in potatoes, he stated that we have already shared the seeds of bio-fortified iron potatoes that were released in Peru. We will ensure that iron-rich potato seeds reach a large number of farmers.
Farmers’ optimism for better varieties and market linkage
Additionally, Dr. Heck further stated that India has the strongest momentum for potato production, and farmers want better varieties of potatoes that give a good yield at low chemical cost. Not only this, farmers also want to be part of the market chain, including food processing. He expressed his hope that this centre would help farmers get better quality seeds and give them better access to markets. The International Potato Centre believes that the location chosen for the new centre, near Agra, in the heart of India’s potato belt, is ideal, as the Indo-Gangetic plain is the largest potato-producing region in the world.
Part of the market chain
Dr. Heck said that farmers need potato seeds of the right quality, right variety and at the right time of the year. There are some obstacles in this process. They do not have enough potato seeds, or the seeds reach the farmers too late for planting, or they are not of appropriate quality. We need to build the capacity of companies to increase potato seeds manifold. This will be a major contribution of the International Potato Centre. He highlighted that the International Potato Centre is working with private companies and public research institutions to ensure that farmers across India have access to planting material at the right time every year, right from early breeding of new varieties. Particularly, he also asserted that the International Potato Centre will ensure that nutritious potatoes are available to vulnerable sections of society. There are many opportunities, such as working with the government, through public sector food procurement for mid-day meals. This ensures that children will get nutritious potatoes.