Prime Minister Modi to Inaugurate Expanded French Fry Processing Plant in Banaskantha

Sanadar, Banaskantha, October 29 (Daily Kiran) : Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to inaugurate the expanded French fry processing plant of Banaskantha Dairy in Sanadar village, located in the Diodar tehsil, on October 30. The initiative, which began in April 2026, aims to enhance the production and packaging capacity of French fries. With an investment of ₹51.65 crore, the plant’s output will increase from 2 tons to 5 tons per hour, benefiting local potato farmers with better prices and new market opportunities.

Banaskantha is a leading district in potato production. Over the past 25 years, the area dedicated to processing-grade potato cultivation has surged from approximately 400 hectares to 61,016 hectares. In the 2024-25 season, the district produced around 1.87 million tons of potatoes, achieving a yield of about 30 tons per hectare. This region is ideal for producing chip-grade and French fry-grade potatoes due to its fertile soil, favorable climate, and advanced farming techniques.

Additionally, the organic waste generated during potato processing is utilized for biogas production, while the remaining residues are repurposed for agriculture.

Banaskantha Dairy entered the French fry segment under the Amul brand in 2019. Since then, the dairy has developed a ‘Seed to Fry’ model that integrates quality seed production, potato farming, procurement, and processing. This process starts with disease-free germplasm obtained from institutions like the Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI). The seeds are cultivated in the dairy’s tissue culture lab and later developed in aeroponic facilities in Kanpur.

These mini-tubers are then grown in fields to the G-3 level, ensuring farmers receive certified seeds capable of producing high-quality potatoes for processing.

When providing seeds to farmers, the purchase price of potatoes is predetermined. In the 2023-24 season, Banaskantha Dairy paid farmers approximately ₹1.83 crore as price differentials. For the 2024-25 season, the buyback price was set at ₹13 per unit, increasing to ₹14 per unit for 2025-26.

To strengthen the potato value chain, Banaskantha Dairy developed a cold storage facility with a capacity of 10,000 tons in 2024. Furthermore, in November 2025, the dairy signed a memorandum of understanding with the Indian Seed Cooperative Limited (BBSL) to facilitate the distribution of certified seeds to farmers across the country.

In the 2025-26 season, India exported approximately 277,000 tons of value-added potato products, valued at around ₹2,744.50 crore. The expansion of the French fry processing plant in Sanadar is expected to accelerate the value addition of potatoes, opening new market opportunities for Banaskantha’s potato products and fostering the growth of agriculture-based industries in the region.