Lahaul farmers losing interest in seed potato cultivation Suresh Sharma, Times of India KEYLONG: Cabbage, cauliflower and exotic vegetables are stealing the sheen of potato seeds in Lahaul valley of Himachal -- a major cultivator of Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Chandermukhi, Asias best potato seed varieties. Potato has been the main cash crop of Lahaul valley since decades. A major portion of agriculture land in the valley is situated at an altitude of over 9,000 feet and the valley experiences mostly cold climate throughout the year. Being highly resistant to diseases and having good production rate, seed potatoes grown in Lahaul remain high in demand in all potato growing states of the country. Sources said that over 1,800 hectare land was under potato cultivation in Lahaul a few years back, which has now come down to less than 800 hectares. Farmers are now more interested in cultivation of cauliflower, cabbage, broccoli and other vegetables. Gujarat, West Bengal, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, UP and Maharashtra are the main buyers of Kufri Jyoti and Kufri Chandermukhi varieties. Earlier, Bangladesh, Bhutan and Nepal also used to buy this potato seed. According to experts, potato production in valley is declining due to uncertainty in its production rate and, more importantly, its prices. On the other hand, farmers are getting good prices for other vegetables and a few farmers are taking two harvests in a year. Potato harvesting is on in the valley these days and is set to end in about a week, they said. District agriculture officer, Madan Lal Sharma, said that crop diversification in the valley has resulted in shrinking of area under potato cultivation. Farmers are now growing cauliflower and cabbage on a large scale. Some farmers, who have good marketing knowledge, are cultivating broccoli and other exotic vegetables. A negligible number of farmers ask for potato seeds from us while others buy it from other sources, he said. Pea is the second largest cash crop grown in Lahaul valley after seed potato. Like potato, fewer farmers are showing interest in pea cultivation now. According to Sharma, horticulture department had distributed about 3,500 quintals peas seed among farmers a few years back and this year, it has come down to 1,500 quintals. Cauliflower is emerging as the main crop of the valley. Cabbage cultivation is at No 2 and then come exotic vegetables. Farmers say they are losing interest in potato farming due to expensive seeds, volatility in its market value and the hard work needed behind its cultivation. A vegetable grower, Sunil Bodh, said, We dont have direct contact with buyers and have to depend on commission agents who offer arbitrary prices. Many times, we get prices cheaper than table potato for our seed potato. Instead, we are getting good prices for cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables. These vegetables are also disease-free and we are having bumper crop here. m.timesofindia/india/Lahaul-farmers-losing-interest-in-seed-potato-cultivation/articleshow/45008796.cms
Posted on: Tue, 04 Nov 2014 14:28:37 +0000
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