Context: The Union Cabinet approved a proposal to set up a regional wing of the Peru-based International Potato Center (CIP) in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh.
Relevance of the Topic: Prelims: About International Potato Center, CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC), India’s position in global potato production.
About International Potato Center (CIP)
CIP-South Asia Regional Centre:
- The proposed CIP-South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC) will be set up at Singna in Agra district, Uttar Pradesh.
- Purpose: To strengthen India’s research and productivity in potatoes and sweet potatoes.
- The project costs Rs 171 crore, with India contributing Rs 111.5 crore and the remaining Rs 60 crore funded by the CIP. The UP government has provided 10 hectares of land for it.
- It will cater not only to farmers in India’s potato belt states, like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, but also to South Asian countries.
Objective of CSARC:
- To increase food and nutrition security, farmers income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition.
Functions of CSARC:
- To develop climate-resilient, disease-free, and processing-suitable potato & sweet potato varieties.
- It will bring global science expertise, an extensive global innovation network and global genetic resources.
Significance of CSARC:
- Boost Productivity:
- Though India is the second largest potato producer in the world, followed by China, its average yield is 25 tonnes per hectare, about half of its potential of over 50 tonnes per hectare.
- India’s sweet potato yield is just 11.5 tonnes per hectare, which is much less than the potential of 30 tonnes per hectare.
- A major reason for these low numbers is a lack of availability of high-quality seeds. With the establishment of the CSARC, India will have access to the largest global collection of germplasm (the cells or tissues from which a new organism can be generated) available with the CIP.
- Boost Domestic Seed Production: Establishment of this center will boost domestic potato seed production, thereby reducing India’s dependence on seed imports from neighbouring countries.
- Increase in Export Potential: It will also help increase the potential for exporting the potato and sweet potato products from India to international markets.
- Aid Food Processing: It will aid local food processing industries in increasing investments in processing and value addition.
The proposed CSARC will be the second major international agricultural research institution to set up operations in India. In 2017, the Agriculture Ministry supported the establishment of a regional centre of the Philippines-based International Rice Research Institute (IRRI). The IRRI-SARC is established in Varanasi.