McCain to cultivate potato over 8000 acres in in Gujarat by 2014

AHMEDABAD: McCain Foods Pvt Ltd will bring 8,000 acres under potato cultivation in Gujarat by 2014. The company currently supplies 30,000 MT of potatoes to Indian arm of global food service retailer McDonald's for french fries.

"At present, 4,000 acres across Gujarat are under contract farming of potatoes. With growing demand from Indian consumers, we would double the land under potato cultivation by 2014," said Vikas Mittal, MD, McCain Foods Pvt Ltd.

Since early part of the last decade, the company has worked with 800 farmers in Deesa and Himmatnagar to grow the crop which would eventually end up as french fries in McDonald's outlets. The company is also evaluating possibilities of growing potatoes in West Bengal.

"Field tests are on to grow the crop," said McCain's agronomist Devendra Kumar. McDonald's India projects that it would source 50,000 MT of potatoes from McCain by 2014.

Hence, we would require to fall back on our suppliers for potatoes which necessisates cultivation of more crop, said Amit Jatia,VC, McDonald's India (west and south). He said the retailer will invest Rs 1,000 crore to grow pan-India by 2014.