Glut hits potato farmers again

Ajay Joshi

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, December 23

In a repeat of last year’s glut, potato farmers in the state are suffering due to the crashing rates of their produce. Cold store facilities are bursting at the seams with the old crop, forcing the farmers to sell their crop at throwaway prices.

Although the production rate decreased by 10-12 per cent this year, the government’s failure to find a long-term solution has led to a glut again, said Jagjit Singh, a potato farmer based in Gajipur village.

He added, “After facing a huge dip in the price of the old crop, farmers are now getting a meagre Rs2-3 per kg for the fresh produce. Our production cost was Rs5 per kg. However, the same crop is selling in the market at Rs10-20 per kg.”

Paramjit Singh, nodal officer for the potato crop, Punjab, said, “The production during 2017-18 was more than 25.15 lakh metric tonnes against the storage capacity of 20.32 lakh metric tonnes in 609 cold stores.”

Over the past year, fewer seeds were procured from states such as West Bengal, Assam and Uttar Pradesh. Deputy Director Satbir Singh said farmers were not getting adequate price for their surplus produce. Sufficient production of potato crop in these states and demonetisation hindered them from purchasing seeds from Punjab, which contributes a sizeable share of India’s annual potato production.

The old crop is either rotting in the vegetable markets and cold stores or being taken away by Gujjars to prepare fodder for cattle, said Rupinder Minhas, secretary, Maqsudan Sabzi Mandi Board. He said a sack of 50-kg potatoes was being sold at Rs30-40 in the wholesale market.

Meanwhile, local MP Santokh Singh Chaudhary said the government should include potato in the export policy to end the growers’ ordeal.

Cold store facilities bursting at seams 

• Potato farmers in the state are suffering due to the crashing rates of their produce. Cold store facilities are bursting at the seams with the old crop, forcing the farmers to sell their crop at throwaway prices.
• Paramjit Singh, nodal officer for the potato crop, Punjab, said, “The production during 2017-18 was more than 25.15 lakh metric tonnes against the storage capacity of 20.32 lakh metric tonnes in 609 cold stores.”