New Delhi, Sep 8 (PTI) Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Tuesday said it has launched a new equipment for potato planting in certain states.

The company's Farm Equipment Sector (FES) has introduced new potato planting machinery in the country, M&M said in a statement.

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The machinery, PlantingMaster Potato +, is designed and developed in collaboration with the company's Europe-based partner Dewulf to suit Indian farming conditions and help offer higher yields and enhanced quality, it added.

Mahindra and Dewulf had last year partnered with progressive farmers in Punjab to introduce the new precision potato planter technology.

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These farmers have reported a 20-25 per cent increase in yields over traditional methods after they began using this system, M&M said.

"As the world's second largest potato producing nation, advanced farm machinery is needed to drive up yields and improve quality. With the 'PlantingMaster Potato +', we are bringing this technology to Indian farmers to drive productivity and quality improvements in potato farming," M&M FES President Hemant Sikka said.

The equipment is also available on rental basis in some markets, and offered through easy financing for purchase, making this new technology accessible to Indian farmers, he added.

India is the second largest producer of potatoes in the world, but the country lags behind in yield, M&M said.

Yield per acre in India is 8.5 tonnes as compared to the Netherlands which is at 17 tonnes per acre.

Many elements determine the level of crop yields, and the use of appropriate farm machinery is one of the more important elements, it said.

The new PlantingMaster Potato + will be available for sale in Punjab, on sale and rent in UP, and for rent in Gujarat through Mahindra's rental entrepreneur network, the company added.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)