CM encourages potato growers, reminisces ‘Dekha ek khwab’

Chief minister Akhilesh Yadav on Monday said that the state excels in producing potato crop and also a leader in dairy sector too. "Seeking to spur potato growth, the state government is committed to help potato farmers, besides modernising dairy and the food processing industries in the region. People engaged in these industries will get advanced training from Dutch scientists to increase production and minimise losses," Yadav said while inaugurating a two-day workshop for potato farmers at Tirwa in Kannauj.
On September 20, the CM met a delegation led by Netherlands ambassador Alphonsus Stoelinga in Lucknow. During the meeting, possibilities of Dutch cooperation in dairy, food processing and agriculture sectors were discussed. An MoU was signed between Chandrashekhar Azad Agriculture University, Kanpur and Wageningen University (Netherlands) was signed for increasing potato production, mitigating losses, storage, processing and also facilitating advanced techniques.
Thereafter, a delegation led by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had visited Netherlands, where they met industrialists, trade organisation representatives and institutions to increase and attract investment in the state.
In order to make local farmers connected with Netherlands' scientists, Yadav recalled Yash Chopra's famous `Silsila' movie song `Dekha ek khwab...' which was shot at Keukenhof (kitchen garden in Netherlands). He told farmers that Netherlands excels in producing milk and potato. That country is also known as the largest grower of flowers in the world.
The chief minister said his government has been toiling hard for the potato farmers of the region and a day will come, when the hard work will earn fame. He also asked scientific community to set specific goals to ensure that lab research reaches farmers and helps raise their income.
Worried over the demand-supply gap, he asked scientists to dedicate themselves in research of suitable variety so that the country is not dependent on import.
A large number of farmers from Kanpur, Etah, Etawah, Firozabad, Aligarh and Agra were present on the first day of the session. They were imparted training for processing and improving potato production.
He said that the state government is also mulling promotion of agro-processing, especially potato-based units with help from Dutch experts.
The state government will also work hard to develop `attar' industry of Kannauj, he emphasised.