Evaluation of the Adoption of Potato Production Technology and Identification of Farmer Challenges for Enhancing Food Security in Northeast India

Potato is a crucial vegetable crop in the North-eastern hilly states of India and tops among most widely consumed staple foods in the region. However, potato productivity remains significantly below the national average, with a yield of 8.55 MT/ha compared to the national figure of 25.79 MT/ha. Despite the availability of advanced technologies, challenges persist regarding data availability, access to technology, and infrastructure in rural areas of Northeast India. Farmers often lack knowledge of efficient irrigation schedules, soil management and crop diversification strategies to combat the climatic variation due to technological barriers. The present study evaluates adoption of recommended potato production technologies and to identify the constraints faced by potato farmers. The research involved data collection from a purposive sample of 480 farmers across Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, and Tripura. The study employed percentage analysis to describe the socio-personal characteristics of farmers and to assess the level of adoption or non-adoption of the recommended practices. To identify the determinants of adoption, negative binomial regression was applied. In addition, the constraints experienced by farmers were systematically examined using a severity index and weighted mean score. The results indicated that the most critical practices for potato cultivation were planting time, seed quality/selection, and planting methods, with adoption rates of 73.12%, 57.91%, and 56.66%, respectively. Among the 13 recommended practices, most farmers adopted seven practices. The negative binomial regression analysis revealed that factors such as education and potato farming income had a significant positive effect at the 1% level on adoption rates. Furthermore, the main challenges identified among the nine categories of constraints were production issues, followed by limitations in storage and extension services. Policy interventions should aim to improve access to agricultural extension services, ensuring the timely delivery of inputs, promoting credit accessibility, and offering targeted training programs that focus on recommended agronomic practices, which remain an ideal strategy for North East (NE) India. Additionally, active involvement of farmers in decision-making and the promotion of collective action through groups or cooperatives can play a vital role in improving the dissemination and adoption of new technologies.