Potato arrivals have picked up in January and brought drown prices by Rs 3-6 per kg. In the ongoing season, rainfall had impacted the sowing and harvesting process. pushing up prices since October. The price of cold storage quality of potato is more than Rs 12 per kg in Uttar Pradesh where the bulk purchase for cold storage is set to begin by next week.
Wholesale prices currently are more than Rs 10-12 per Kilogram in major potato-growing states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal. In southern states including Kerala and Karnataka, prices range between Rs 20 and Rs 30.
Potato traders and cold store owners are caught in a dilemma ahead of the annual tuber stocking period, as the prevailing prices are 50% higher from a year earlier.
Wholesale prices currently are more than Rs 10-12 per kilogram in major potato-growing states like Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and West Bengal. In southern states including Kerala and Karnataka, prices range between Rs 20 and 30.
Potato arrivals have picked up in January and brought drown prices by Rs 3-6 per kg. In the ongoing season, rainfall had impacted the sowing and harvesting process, pushing up prices since October. The price of cold storage quality of potato is more than Rs 12 per kg in Uttar Pradesh where the bulk purchase for cold storage is set to begin by next week. Traders are circumspect of stocking at the current price levels.
Potato prices have begun again firming up in the southern states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala in the last fortnight, after they had come down in first halve of January. Wholesale price of potato is around Rs 28-30 in Kerala and Rs 20-22 in Karnataka.
"The higher price of potato is due to the fact that yield per acre of early-sown potato varieties is around 25 tonne per acre compared to 35 tonnes in case of hybrid seed. Due to rainfall, the sowing of hybrid seed was delayed this year and it has affected the arrivals," said West Bengal Cold Storage Association's former president, Patit Paban De.
"Cold store owners are anxious of a repeat of 2018 when the stocks bought at Rs 9-11 were disposed at a loss and as much as 30% stock was withdrawn by farmers to curtail rising cost of storage," he said. Cold store owners had incurred a loss of Rs 2 per kg on the stored stock, he added.
[ Rs100 = €1.30 ]
