Koraput, Nov 13:
Lack of cold storages facilities in eastern Indian Odisha state is one of the major problems that the farmers of the district are facing for preserving their potato crop.
Without adequate storage facilities, potato farmers are being forced to sell their produce at throwaway prices to traders of other states.
This year, acres of land were put under potato cultivation in the district. The harvest in the current season has also been good. However, farmers are not getting the desired market price to sell their produce and due to lack of storage infrastructure they are selling their produce at lower prices.
Notably, in a bid to boost potato production in the State, the government launched ‘Potato Mission’ in December 2014. Under this mission the government outlined plans to provide tariff subsidy for existing and new cold-storage made operational before March 31, 2018.
