Context:
The Government of India took an important decision on 25 June 2025 and approved the establishment of a regional center of the International Potato Center (CIP) at Singna in Agra district of Uttar Pradesh. This center will not only benefit the farmers of India's major potato producing states, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, but will also meet the needs of South Asian countries. Potato, which is the third most available food crop in the world and India is its second largest producer and consumer, will get new possibilities through this center.
International Potato Center (CIP)-
CIP, established in 1971 in Lima, Peru, is a global organization dedicated to research and development on potatoes, sweet potatoes and Andean tuber crops. Potato originated in the Peruvian-Bolivian Andes region of Latin America, which was brought to India in the 17th century. CIP started its work in India in 1975 by entering into an agreement with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR). This new regional centre, named the Centre for South Asia Regional Centre (CSARC), will be CIP's second major unit outside Peru. Earlier, China had set up a similar centre in Beijing in 2017.
Objectives and functions of the International Potato Centre
The project was given the green signal in a cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The centre, to be set up at a cost of Rs 171 crore, will promote food and nutrition security, farmers' income and employment generation. It will focus on potato and sweet potato productivity, storage management and value addition. The centre will work on developing new varieties that are climate-suitable, disease-free and suitable for processing. The Uttar Pradesh government has provided 10 hectares of land for this, in which India will contribute Rs 111.5 crore and CIP Rs 60 crore.
Importance for India
The average production of potato in India is 25 tonnes per hectare, while its potential is more than 50 tonnes. Similarly, the production of sweet potato is 11.5 tonnes per hectare, while it can go up to 30 tonnes. Establishment of CSARC will give India access to the world's largest germplasm collection of CIP, which will boost domestic seed production and reduce dependence on seed imports. The centre will also encourage export of processed products of potato and sweet potato from India, thereby increasing the income of farmers.
India's position in potato production in global perspective
India produced 51.30 million tonnes of potato in 2020, making it the second largest producer after China (78.24 million tonnes). Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar are the major potato producing states of India. This centre will benefit these states as well as other producing states like Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab. Also, it will provide new direction to potato and sweet potato cultivation in South Asia.
Conclusion
Establishment of CIP's regional centre in Agra will prove to be a milestone for India's agriculture and food security. This will not only improve the livelihood of farmers but also strengthen India's position at the global level. This new centre along with existing centres like ICAR-CPRI (Shimla) and ICAR-CTCRI (Thiruvananthapuram) will play a vital role in making India self-sufficient in the field of tuber crops.
