Cuttack’s potato cultivation outlook remains uncertain as growers continue to show limited interest in expanding planted area despite state-backed incentives and subsidised high-yielding seed.

Of the district’s 14 blocks, potato cultivation is largely concentrated in Salepur, Mahanga, Nischintakoili, Cuttack Sadar, Banki, Athagarh, Kantapada, and Niali, where sandy soils offer a natural advantage. A decade ago, in 2012–13, Cuttack led Odisha’s potato production with 2,910 hectares—nearly 23 percent of the state’s output. Since then, acreage has steadily declined due to non-operational cold storage, erratic weather, and recurring crop losses from wild animals. Last year’s target of 575 hectares resulted in only about 438 hectares planted.

For the current season, the horticulture directorate has set a target of 800 acres, or about 324 hectares, supported by the supply of high-yielding seed at sharply reduced prices. Despite this, farmers remain hesitant. Potato planting traditionally begins in late November after the kharif paddy harvest, with a crop cycle of 100 to 120 days. This year’s delayed paddy sowing has pushed harvest timelines into December, raising fears that late-planted potato fields will be exposed to warmer temperatures by mid-February—conditions growers believe could suppress tuber formation and reduce yields.

The absence of functional cold storage continues to be the district’s most persistent bottleneck. Without storage infrastructure, farmers expect to sell fresh potatoes at low, distress-sale prices. Facilities in Bahugram, 42 Mouza, Nisthipur, Lakheswar, and Athagarh remain idle, offering no buffer for market timing or post-harvest stability.

Seed distribution for the season is underway, with the administration procuring high-yielding varieties at Rs. 42.27 per kg and supplying them to farmers at Rs. 20 per kg. Growers are also eligible for an additional refund of Rs. 10 per kg, credited directly to their bank accounts upon submission of GPS-tagged photographs of cultivated fields at block offices.

With planting now running behind schedule, the coming weeks will determine whether Cuttack can regain lost ground or fall short of its target yet again—despite financial incentives designed to reignite farmer confidence in the crop.