India: Govt to identify pest-free potato zones to boost exports

Aiming to boost potato exports, the government is considering identifying ‘pest-free zones’ for the staple in production clusters of the growing states like Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. Although India was the world’s second largest potato producer at 48 million tonnes in 2014-15, its exports were less than one per cent of the output. Potato can be exported to many countries if pest related issues are addressed and standard operating procedures are put in place. In a meeting held last week, Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman discussed ways to increase potato exports and other related issues with Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh. More