This Is The Cold Desert From The Landlocked Lahaul Depression In Himachal Pradesh.

In Himachal Pradesh where you'll not drop the conception of trade as its disease-free potatoes square measure nearly mercantilism like hotcakes despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The crop this time is the style of double than the previous year, and thus the farmers have gotten the remunerative prices, too.

Tucked at intervals the range of mountains with regards to the India-China border, the arid Lahaul depression that bears one crop throughout a year through glacial-fed streams have nearly managed to remain the coronavirus cornered.

The Lahaul depression once the hub for producing bitter vogue hops is believed for growing prized seed potatoes whose story goes back to 1854 once missionary A.W. Hide from the Federal Republic of Germany established a farm on the brink of Keylong, the district headquarters town nearly 350 kilometres from the metropolis Shimla. 

Period of time dotted with tiny hamlets produces the country's pest-resistant seed varieties — Kufri Chandramukhi and Kufri Jyoti — and 'Table Santana' and 'Shafordi' varieties that square measure used for making chips.

Every year an outsized chunk of potatoes from the period of time finds its due to the markets in the province, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Uttarakhand, province, and north-eastern states where they are used primarily as seeds for crops.

They to boot notice they're due to markets in northern Bharat where the rates square measure moneymaking. "Half of the land this time, too, was used for contract farming of potatoes for McCain Foods Pvt. Ltd thus associate degree oversize portion of the crop has been sold-out to the company," farmer Neeraj Negi aforesaid.

He aforesaid the prices and thus the yield was higher this time compared to 2019. "Our area is believed for growing the 'Kufri Jyoti' variety of potato because of river-fed irrigation facilities and high condition content in soil due to plentiful of snow last winter," Associate in Nursing elated Negi different, United Nations agency migrates to lower hills beside his family every winter. 

"Since personal companies square measure promoting chip-making varieties like 'Santana', we tend to square measure cultivating them on some portion whereas the remaining land is utilized for cultivating the quality choice," he said. His village on the Manali-Leh national route falls in Koksar council that lies on the mighty Chandra stream that freezes in winter.

 Another farmer Deepak Bodh aforesaid besides McCain Foods Pvt Ltd., the other companies that square measure promoting contract rural area unit Hyfun Frozen Foods and Balaji Foods. A bag of fifty weight units of 'Santana' is sold-out at a value of Rs one,200-1,300. In 2019 its prices Rs one,000 on a mean, he added.

"Nearly 1/2 the crop has been sold-out out to the non-public companies, the rest will reach the markets through our cooperative society," Bodh aforesaid. As per state Department of Agriculture estimates, the Lahaul depression is anticipated to reap nearly thirty 5,000-40,000 baggage of fifty weight units each largely of 'Kufri Chandramukhi' and 'Kufri Jyoti' varieties cultivated over 750 hectares.