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Abstract
Attempts are being made to export potatoes from India since 1970s but
the quantities exported have been negligible and variable in spite of the
fact that Indian potatoes are technically excellent and moderately export
competitive. With the liberalization of Indian economy and establishment
of WTO it was expected that the WTO regime would increase the price
level in the international market due to implementation of proposed heavy
cut in agricultural subsidies by the developed countries and hence the
export of potatoes from India may get a boost. Under this backdrop, the
study has ascertained the effect of establishment of WTO on export of
potatoes from India. The study has indicated a declining export
competitiveness of Indian potatoes in the post-WTO era, which requires
immediate attention of policymakers as well as researchers in India to
improve the export competitiveness by increasing the productivity and
decreasing the cost of production. A need has been emphasized on giving
some export incentives and easing some of the major infrastructural
bottlenecks. Frozen-potatoes export from India had depicted
competitiveness in the post-WTO era which can be encouraged to capture
the fast expanding market of the product. The potato export from India
can be made stable by either encouraging big export houses in the potato
export or establishing a “Potato Board” to look into various aspects of
potato export from the country.