New Delhi, June 25
The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a proposal from the Department of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare to establish the International Potato Centre (CIP)’s South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) at Agra in Uttar Pradesh.
The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition.
The potato sector in India has the potential to generate significant employment opportunities in the production sector, processing sector, packaging, transportation and marketing value chain.
Hence, in order to untap and explore the huge potential in this sector, International Potato Centre’s South Asia regional Centre is being established at Singna, Agra, according to an official statement.
High yielding, nutrient and climate resilient varieties of potato and sweet potato, developed by CSARC, will significantly accelerate the sustainable development of the potato and sweet potato sectors not only in India but in the South Asia region also through world-class science and innovation, the statement explained.