Chennai: Asserting that potato cultivation is the major mainstay activity in the hilly districts of Dindigul, Nilgiris, Krishnagiri and Erode in Tamil Nadu, extending to nearly 5,500 hectares land, Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami has urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to direct the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) to rescind its decision to shut down the 'Central Potato Research Station' (CPRS), a well known premier institute functioning at Muthorai, Ooty in the Nilgiris district of TN.
Opposing the move to close down the Institute, the CM said its closure would have detrimental impact on the interest of the potato farmers of this State and entire South India.
"I therefore request you to direct the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research not to close the CPRS, Ooty, in order to safeguard the interests of the potato farmers of this State as well as farmers in other southern States of our country," Mr. Palaniswami said on Thursday.
In a letter to Mr. Modi, a copy of which was made available to the media here, Mr. Palaniswami said, the CPRS, founded in 1957, is the only station in the whole of South India researching on potato cyst nematode and potato early blight which are major diseases affecting potato cultivation and help the farmers to keep these maladies in check and grow the potato crop profitably.
The institute has been serving the potato farmers for the past 70 years in coordination with the State Government as well as with the Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU). The Institute is well equipped with a hi-tech laboratory, seed production and multiplication facilities located in an area of 45 acres, he said.Pointing out that CPRS-Ooty released India's first nematode resistant variety "Kufri Swarna" in 1985, Mr. P alaniswami said this variety is still predominantly grown in many areas across Nilgiris. This is one of the two Institutes where potato farmers get disease-free seeds.
"If this research station is closed, farmers of Tamil Nadu and other southern States will have to depend on the Potato Research Station at Jalandhar, Punjab, which is located far away, to access disease free planting materials, which in turn will increase the cost of cultivation. Moreover, the varieties of North India are not suitable for southern hills," Mr. Palaniswami contended.
