Potato processing plant to be set up in Una for Rs 20 cr

Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said here today that the state government was planning to establish a potato processing plant in Una district at a cost of Rs 20 crore. “The plant will have a minimum processing capacity of 500 kg per hour and will primarily focus on producing potato flakes. The Agriculture Department has been directed to formulate a detailed project report (DPR) in this regard,” he added.

Sukhu said that agriculture accounted for 14 per cent of Himachal Pradesh’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP), with potato being a key crop. “Potato accounts for around 20 per cent of the state’s total vegetable cultivation, giving around 2.38 lakh metric tonnes of produce from 16,960 hectares. The establishment of the potato processing plant will help in ensuring better remunerative prices to potato farmers and boost the local economy by creating employment opportunities in the factory and the agriculture sector,” he added.

The Chief Minister said, “By processing potatoes into value-added products like flakes, the plant will help stabilise its market and reduce the vulnerability of farmers to price fluctuations. Potato flakes are made by cooking, mashing and drying it to create flat, dehydrated chunks, which are then packaged for sale.”

He said that the potato processing industry was a highly industrialised, technologically advanced and market-driven sector. He added that Una district, with a production of about 54,200 metric tonnes of potato from 3,400 hectares in both seasons (autumn and spring) was well-positioned to support such a plant. Besides, Punjab also produces a significant quantity of potato, ensuring a steady supply of raw material for the processing industry.

Sukhu said, “One of the key advantages of potato cultivation in Himachal Pradesh is the ability to harvest it during the rabi season in March. However, due to market conditions, farmers often resort to distress sales during this period. The proposed processing unit will offer farmers an opportunity to sell their potato produce at better prices, thereby preventing price fluctuations and ensuring a year-round demand for the vegetable.”

He said that Himachal’s climatic conditions were ideal for producing high-quality, disease-free seed potato, which was highly valued across India. He added that the development of the potato processing sector in Himachal Pradesh would not only support local farmers but also contribute to the overall growth of the state’s agriculture economy, he claimed.

CM attends funeral of Manmohan Singh

• Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu attended the funeral of former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at the Nigambodh Ghat in New Delhi on Saturday
• Manmohan Singh was cremated with full state honours
• Earlier, the Chief Minister paid floral tributes to Manmohan Singh at the AICC headquarters in New Delhi where his mortal remains were kept