Potato price crashes, farmers pin hope on ‘Bhavantar’

Vishal Joshi

Tribune News Service

Pipli (Kurukshetra), Jan 7

The wholesale price of potato has reached up to Rs 2.25 per kg this week, the farming community feels that the Haryana government’s newly introduced ‘Bhavantar Bharpai’- a price deficit compensation scheme for four vegetable crops would be a breather for them.

Vegetable growers said the state government should further cap on vegetable cultivation in each field to ensure financial benefit to marginal landowners. They also demand to regulate the functioning of arthiyas.

Ramesh Singh, a potato grower from Jhansa Singh, said he had taken four acres on lease in his native village but he had hardly earned anything substantial despite three crops in a year.

In the last 10 days, he has transported four consignments of potatoes that brought him the highest rate of Rs 361 per quintal.

Ramesh said the existing potato pricing was causing him a loss of Rs 10,000 per acre.

“Between paddy and wheat cycles our family has been sowing potatoes for the last 14 years. We get good returns from wheat and paddy due to the MSP. As the potatoes rates in the wholesale market have seen drastic fall for the third consecutive season, my financial system has collapsed,” he said.

However, he hoped the Bhavantar scheme may ensure the recovery of the cost input.

Another farmer from Lukhi village Gurdyal Singh said the government should prefer start mapping of the cultivable land and regulate vegetable farming.

“Farmers with large land holdings have several options to earn but the marginal farmers have no means to sell his produce in an innovative manner. A monitoring agency may determine the area for horticulture crops to eliminate the problem of a glut in the mandis,” he said.

Another farmer Harpal Singh said the government should extend the secured prices for the peas and other vegetables. He said food processing units should be opened in clusters for the benefit of farmers.

“Market prices are manipulated by arthiyas. Today we are being offered up to Rs 3.50 per kg for the best quality potatoes at the mandis whereas the medium grade vegetables are sold for Rs 10 per kg,” he said.