Potato Sector Round-Up | July–August 2026

🥔 India’s potato sector has seen a series of noteworthy developments across processing, seed technology, exports and cold-chain infrastructure.

🏭 Cold Chain Expansion
HyFun Foods and Maersk have strengthened cold-chain infrastructure for processed potato products, supporting a more integrated farm-to-processing supply chain.

🌱 Technico Expands Seed Capacity
ITC’s Technico has expanded its aeroponic potato seed operations, with capacity reaching around 100 million mini-tubers annually—a significant boost for quality seed availability.

🧬 Two New CPRI Potato Varieties
Two new ICAR-CPRI varieties — Kufri Abhedya and Kufri Ruby — have been officially notified. Kufri Abhedya is notable for resistance to late blight and potato cyst nematodes, strengthening the options available for disease management.

✈️ Uttarakhand Opens New Export Route
APEDA facilitated Uttarakhand’s first export of frozen French fries, with a 24-tonne shipment from Kashipur to Iraq. India exported over 2.77 lakh tonnes of value-added potato products in FY 2025–26, highlighting the growing potential of processed potato exports.

🌿 New Approach to Seed Production
ICAR has highlighted the use of Apical Rooted Cuttings (ARC) in Meghalaya as an alternative method for producing quality seed potatoes closer to growing regions.

🌍 Global Potato Summit Ahead
The potato industry will turn its attention to Gandhinagar, Gujarat, on 16–17 December 2026 for the Global Potato Summit, bringing together stakeholders from across production, processing, technology and trade.

📌 PB Take

The direction is clear: India’s potato value chain is gradually moving beyond fresh-market potatoes towards better seed systems, modern storage, processing and higher-value export markets.

Potato Bazaar | Aloo Ki Duniya – The World of Potatoes