The time of harvest is very important in potato as the development of tuber continues till vines die. The crop is ready for harvest within 75-120 days of planting, when majority of the leaves turn yellow brown. At this stage, the tops are cut near the ground level. The potatoes are dug out from the field by ploughing after 8-10 days. These potatoes are manually picked from the field and stored in shade. Since manual harvesting is labour intensive, time consuming and causes lot of damage to the tubers, various low cost bullock drawn and tractor drawn potato diggers have been developed.
The harvested potatoes are surface dried and kept in heaps for 10-15 days in shade for curing of skin. The tubers should not be exposed to direct sunlight as they become green. All damaged and rotten tubers should be removed. The produce should be kept in a cool place before sending to the market. The average yield of the early-maturing varieties is about 20 t/ha and that of the late varieties about 30 t/ ha.