Odisha govt places orders from NAFED as potato prices double in 3 months

Odisha food supply and consumer welfare minister KC Patra said the state government will purchase potatoes through NAFED and supply to consumers at ₹30 per kg.

Published on: Aug 9, 2024, 21:04:10 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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The Mohan Majhi government in Odisha has decided to procure potatoes from Uttar Pradesh through the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd (NAFED) as prices of the vegetable are skyrocketing in markets across the state.

The price of potatoes in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack markets have gone up to ₹60 a kg from ₹30 less than three months ago, while in other parts of the state, the price is hovering around ₹50-60 per kg.

With supply from West Bengal trickling down, the price of the tuber in Bhubaneswar wholesale market is ₹3,400-3,500 per quintal. As potato-laden trucks are coming through circuitous routes to avoid police checkposts, extra transportation charges are also being levied.

Odisha food supply and consumer welfare minister KC Patra said the state government will purchase potatoes through NAFED and supply to consumers at ₹30 per kg.

“The state government has placed an order through NAFED to procure 300 MT of potatoes in the first phase. It will be available in the state by next weekend. In the first phase, it will be made available through government retail shops in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Rourkela, Sambalpur and Berhampur,” the minister said.

Odisha has been facing an acute potato crisis after neighbouring West Bengal stopped transportation of the vegetable and traders from the state refused to purchase it from Uttar Pradesh stating that people don’t like the variety from UP.

The state of Odisha has an annual demand of 13.5 lakh tonne of potato but produces only around 80,000 tonne. West Bengal meets around 90% of the state’s potato requirement.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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