An Overview of Potato Production in Sri Lanka: Trends, Changes and Constraints

Abstract

Potato is one of the key annual upland cash crop, mainly cultivated in Badulla, Nuwara-eliya, Jaffna and Puttalam districts of Sri Lanka. In recent years, it has been notified that potato production is gradually declining and cost of cultivation is increasing considerably. Hence, the foreign expenditure on imports has also increased and the farm incomes as well as levels of food security have decreased. At present, the estimated potato imports were about 50% of the total national requirement and the government spent Rs. 3700 million for the importation. According to mentioned above, the study was carried out to review and investigate the trends in potato production and analyze the recent developments, changes and importation in potato production in Sri Lanka. Total production and cultivated extent displayed a similar trend for the study period with a sudden decline in 1998.