Karnataka Farmers Shift To Potatoes For Better Returns Amid Risks

Farmers in the Chamarajanagar district of Karnataka are turning away from conventional crops and opting for potato farming as a more lucrative option. This is spurred by a need to increase earnings, as the conventional crops such as ragi, maize, and jowar have not delivered adequate returns in recent times.

The new fashion is being seen especially in Kollegal, Gundlupet, and Hanur taluks, where land is being rented and potatoes cultivated on a large scale. Several of them are taking land on lease in the bordering Nilgiris and other parts of Tamil Nadu to cultivate the crop owing to the suitable climate and soil there.

Potato farming, according to farmers, earns them higher market prices, particularly in relation to other dryland crops. It further provides them with a leeway to farm within a shorter period, with the returns often being visible within three months. This has made potato a favorite crop for farmers who seek faster recovery of income.

But the change is not risk-free. It takes more money to farm potatoes, particularly in seed, pesticides, and storage. Farmers borrow money to cover these initial expenses. The crop also succeeds on the basis of timely rains or availability of irrigation. Still, the potential of earning more money is encouraging more farmers to take the risk.

Certain farmers have also requested the government to establish improved cold storage and transport facilities since these are instrumental in maintaining the stored potatoes and making them available to markets on time.

Agriculture Department officials said that they were keeping a watch on the trend and were prepared to assist farmers with training, subsidy, and required inputs. They also pointed towards diversification of crops to improve resilience and income.

The transition to potato farming in Chamarajanagar is a wider tendency in which farmers are turning increasingly market-oriented and trying out crops that offer greater returns and faster income, if the risks are carefully handled.

Source: Times of India