Indian Potato Association

Central Potato Research Institute

Shimia, HP, 171 001

GLOBAL CONFERENCE ON POTATO - 1999

Meeting the future needs of a rapidly growing population is the most stupendous task before the mankind in general and scientific community in particular. The world population is expected to increase by about 40 per cent to a total of 8 billion people by 2020. Added to this is the ever increasing cut on arable land due to growing urbanization, expansion of industries and related activities and degradation resulting from ovrgrazing, deforestation and inappropiate agricultural practices. We have been able to sustain the poplation pressure during the last 30 years, particularly in the developing countries, by boosting the yield of major cereals like rice, wheat and maize. However, the productivity of the cereal crops has virtually reached a plateau. On the other hand, yield potential of potato is still larely unexploited. Current yields in the developing countries and, even in some developed countries, are less than half of the obtainable yields. Besides, potato provides highest dry matter per unit area per unit of time and is a wholesome nutritious food which makes it an ideal food crop for meeting the future food requeriments of the people. Realization to this effect is growing day by day in developing countries where potato production in the last three decades hs grown faster than any other major food crop.

All said and done, lot of efforts are required to give potato its rightful place. There are several issues which need inmediate attention failing which, we may not achieve the desired results. Some of these issues are:

• Identification of potato based cropping systems which can sustain the productivity over a period of time without affecting the soil health.
• Meeting the seed requeriment of the developing countries using novel approaches like tissue culture, micropropagation, TPS, etc.
• Getting rid of heavy dependence on fungicides and insecticides for the management of diseases/pests.
• Broadening the genetic base of the commercial cultivars using biotechnological approaches.
• Development of day-neutral, temperature-insensitive, short duration cultivars which an fit into all possible crop schedules.
• Processing as a means of diversifying its use and cosumption.
• Strenghening the linkages between National and International programmes on potato, and
• Human-resource development in the developing countries for boosting potato production.

Further, there are several loction specific problems which need to be highlighted and put in proper prospective.

India enjoys a unique position in the sense that it can acrt as a bridge between the developed and the developing countries. It has made tremendous progress in potato production during the last four to five decades. It has well developed infrastructural facilities, including a full fledged Institute on potato, and has come of age that it can transmit technology related to the potato crop to neighbouring and othr developing countries, through direct collaboration or as partner with the International Potato Center.

Central Potato Research Institute, Shimia, India is one of its kind in the world, catering to all the needs of the country related to potato, be they varieties, breeders seed, technology for crop production, protection, processing, etc. The Institute will be celebrating its Golden Jubilee in the year 1999. Incindently, Indian Potato Association, a frontal organization of the potato growers, industrialists and the scientists will also have its Silver Jubilee in 1999. To mark the occasion, it is proposed to hold a Global Conference on potato in the 1st week of December, 1999 in Delhi, India. The theme of the Conference would be Fighting Hunger with Potato with symposia covering the following subjects:

i) Crop Improvement,

ii) Crop Production,

iii) Crop Protection,

iv) Post-Harvest Technology including processing & marketing,

v) Present Scenario and Future Prospects of Potato in different countries/regions.

Besides, Satellite Meetings on specific aspects and Evening Lectures on topical issues will also be arranged.

It is our pleasure to invite your views and suggestions on all possible and related issues for structural organization of this conference without which it will not be easy to conduct it successfully. This is also to urge your association to depute a large and competent contingent of officials/scientists. We would also like to explore the possibility of networking of all the Potato Associations in the world for effective interaction. Hope you would agree to disseminate the news among all your members mainly through special announcements in your official organ.

Looking forward to an early response,

(GS SHEKHAWAT)

CHAIRMAN

ORGANISING COMMITTEE

(SM PAUL KHURANA)

CONVENER

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Alberto Gonzalez

Moderador- Lista INFOPAPA

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