Economic, Technical and Institutional Constraints Faced by Potato Growers in Firozabad Districts of Uttar Pradesh, India

Abstract

The present study was conducted in Firozabad district of Uttar Pradesh to identify the major constraints faced by potato growers and to collect their suggestions for overcoming these problems. An ex-post facto research design with a descriptive research approach was employed for the investigation. Firozabad district comprises five tehsils and nine development blocks. Among these, Tundla block was purposively selected because it has a comparatively larger area under potato cultivation. Within the selected block, five villages—Alai, Anwara, Baghai, Bankat, and Basai—were chosen based on their extensive potato-growing area. A total of 135 potato farmers were selected from these villages using proportionate sampling. Primary data were gathered through personal interviews with the help of a structured interview schedule. The collected data were classified, tabulated, and analyzed using frequency and percentage distributions to achieve the objectives of the study. The results revealed that the lack of scientific training was the most critical constraint perceived by the respondents, with 88.46 per cent of potato growers identifying it as a major problem. This was followed by inadequate facilities for long-term potato storage (86.16%), severe insect pest infestation (83.07%), and the limited availability of private cold storage facilities (75.38%). Additional constraints reported by the farmers included the non-availability of quality seed, inadequate government-supported storage infrastructure, reduced productivity due to climate change, and insufficient technical guidance from extension agencies. With respect to suggestions for overcoming these constraints, the majority of respondents emphasized the timely availability of improved quality seed (75.39%) as the most important measure. Other major recommendations included increasing the frequency of field visits by agricultural extension personnel (70.77%), establishing adequate storage and cold storage facilities (67.70%), ensuring the timely supply of fertilizers and other essential agricultural inputs (53.85%), and organizing scientific and technical training programmes for potato growers (52.30%). The study highlights the need to strengthen agricultural extension services, ensure the timely availability of quality agricultural inputs, and expand storage and cold storage infrastructure for potato growers. Addressing these constraints can significantly improve crop productivity, reduce post-harvest losses, and enhance the economic returns from potato cultivation. The findings offer valuable implications for policymakers, extension agencies, and development organizations in designing and implementing effective interventions that promote the sustainable development and long-term growth of the potato sector.