LUCKNOW, 15 APRIL: Potato will no longer rot on the road in Uttar Pradesh due to lack of cold storage. Cold storages of more capacity than the total potato yield in the state have been prepared. Last year 19 new cold storages have been built in the state. Cold storage of 162 lakh metric tonnes capacity has now been ready in the state.
However, this year it is estimated that 160 lakh metric tonnes of potato can be produced.
According to the data of Directorate of Horticulture, this year potato has been cultivated in 620 thousand hectare in the state. It has almost been excavated. An estimated 160 lakh metric tonnes has been produced in this area this year. Anywhere that is produced; it does not reach the cold storage. Out of the total estimated production of 160 lakh metric tonnes, about 120 lakh metric tonnes of potato is expected to reach in cold storage.
Till a few years ago, due to less number of cold storages in the state, the potatoes of farmers used to rot outside, but the Yogi government did the work of building new cold storages by bringing awareness about cold storage and giving financial grants. This has increased the cold storage capacity in the state.
If we look at the figures, last year 158 lakh metric tonnes of potato was produced, which is estimated to be 160 lakh metric tonnes in the same area due to good crop this year. Till last year, there were 1927 cold storages in the state, which have now increased to 1941 in working condition. Taking all these together, the capacity of storing potatoes in cold storage have become 162 lakh metric tonnes.
