The Union government on Wednesday approved a proposal to set up the South Asia regional research centre of the International Potato Centre (CIP) in Agra entailing financial support of Rs 111.5 crore.The major objective of this investment is to increase food and nutrition security, farmers' income, and job creation by improving potato and sweet potato productivity, post-harvest management and value-addition, an official release said.The potato segment has the potential to generate significant employment opportunities in production, processing, packaging, transportation, marketing, and value chain.High-yielding, nutrient and climate-resilient varieties of potato and sweet potato developed by CSARC will significantly accelerate the sustainable development of the crop not only in India but in the South Asia region also through world-class science and innovation.India is one of the largest producers of potatoes.
