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Crash in potato prices hit farmers in Punjab
Table varieties of potato, which were priced between ₹1,400 to ₹1,500 last season are fetching around ₹350 a quintal this time while the premium varieties, which fetched ₹1,800 a quintal last season are being sold for only around ₹550 a quintal.
Impressed with the handsome profits of potato growers last season, Kulwant Singh, a farmer from Jalandhar, had decided to switch to the crop this time. As fate would have it, he was in for a major disappointment.
The table varieties of potato, which were priced between ₹1,400 to ₹1,500 last season are fetching around ₹350 a quintal this time while the premium varieties, which fetched ₹1,800 a quintal last season are being sold for only around ₹550 a quintal.
The massive drop of around 70% in the prices this season has left farmers distressed.
“If farmers don’t get good rates this time, they will shift back to wheat,” a harried Kulwant says.
This season, potato was sown over 1.14 lakh hectares, which is 6,000 hectares more than the last year’s area under the crop.
Sukhwinder Singh, a farmer in Machhiwara area near Samrala, who has sown the crop over 125 acres, reveals that farmers aren’t even getting the inputs costs. “We are in loss,” he says.
He explains that for table varieties, a 50-kg (half quintal) bag is fetching a maximum of ₹180 and premium sugar-free varieties, used in processing industry such as potato wafers, is being sold at ₹275.
Potato growers say the prices opened at a maximum price of ₹27 a kg, but it has been seeing a downward slide every week. Farmers say if the scenario continues, they may be forced to dump the crop like they did a few years ago.
Kulwant reveals that in the open market, potato for table usage is being sold for ₹15-20 a kg. “With the price offered currently, the input cost can’t be recovered. On an average, growing a kilogram of potato requires input of at least ₹10,” he says.
While farmers blame traders, experts say the price drop is likely due to spike in supply.
Bhartiya Kisan Union (Rajewal) president Balbir Singh Rajewal said corporate houses had sold potato seeds to farmers on assurance of buying back the produce but now they are not coming forward. He asked the state government to come forward and support the farmers.
Traders usually have tie-ups with the farmers, and directly purchase the potato produce from them before selling it in big mandis in Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana and even Delhi. “After taking away the produce from farmers, the traders later sell it at a higher rate, pocketing the profit,” added Rajewal.
Horticulture director Shailendra Kaur, however, says that the farmers shouldn’t lose hope. “The harvest season has just begun. Prices will improve in the coming days. There is no reason to panic as the arrival has not started in full swing. If someone has quoted a low price, we can’t judge the season’s trend with it,” he added.
According to her, there are 630 cold-stores in the state to store potato and the commodity can be sold when prices appreciate in the off-season. The actual trend can be known only when crop arrivals begin in other states such as Uttar Pradesh. “65% of the crop is for seed purposes, which sells at good price,” she informed.
