Potato production in Una district set to fall on lower yield; prices firm up

Una (HP), Nov 11 (PTI) Potato production in the Una district of Himachal Pradesh is likely to fall this year due to a 30 per cent drop in crop yield hit by severe heat in summer and a delay in the onset of winter, say farmers.

Potato is the third main crop in the district after wheat and maize and is considered a big support for the economic improvement of farmers.

The area under potato cultivation in Una has remained steady at around 1,200 hectare. However, about 30 per cent decline in yield would affect production this year, according to farmers.

Around 20,000-25,000 tonne of potatoes are produced in the district annually.

The potato crop is fetching good prices of Rs 3,000-3,600 per quintal but the crop yield in the first week of September was very low due to high temperature, said farmers Ravindra Saini, Ajay Kumar, Desraj and Sukhwinder.

Crop production has dropped to one to two quintals per kanal in many fields against usual seven to eight quintals of output per kanal, farmers said.

The crop is affected by fluctuations of the weather. This time, summer lasted long and untimely rains later hit the crop, said Agriculture Deputy Director Kulbhushan Dhiman referring to the potato yield in the district. Potato ploughing has started in the district, he added.

In areas where potatoes are not grown, farmers sow wheat in the beginning of November while sowing is done late in potato growing areas but due to lack of rain in the district for the last one and half months, the farmers are facing difficulty in sowing wheat.

"In rainfed areas, sowing is not possible due to lack of sufficient moisture in the soil. We have bought seeds and fertilizers for sowing wheat and are waiting for rains to sow the crop," said farmer Shyam Lal.

Wheat is sown on more than 35,000 hectare of land in the district. Out of this, 28,000 hectare does not have irrigation facilities. Rain is required from time to time in non-irrigated areas. PTI COR BPL ANU ANU