E-Paper
Indian potatoes to flood Lanka, Dubai markets
?KUFRI BAHAR? a variety of potato grown by the farmers in Kanpur, Agra and Meerut will flood the vegetable markets in Sri Lanka and Dubai soon. Brand name ?Taj?, UP State Agriculture Marketing Board (Mandi Parishad) has planned to export this variety of potato to foreign countries.
‘KUFRI BAHAR’ a variety of potato grown by the farmers in Kanpur, Agra and Meerut will flood the vegetable markets in Sri Lanka and Dubai soon. Brand name ‘Taj’, UP State Agriculture Marketing Board (Mandi Parishad) has planned to export this variety of potato to foreign countries.
Mandi Parishad has already signed an MoU with seven importers of Sri Lanka recently. The first consignment of 200 metric tonne potatoes is expected to hit the Sri Lankan market in March.
Talking to the media persons here on Saturday, Director Mandi Parishad Rajnish Dubey said, “We have planned to export 1,000 metric tonne potatoes this season. If the talk with NAFED is finalized, another 1,000 metric tonne potato will be exported from UP,” he said.
Recently, a delegation from UP comprising bureaucrats and farmers visited Sri Lanka, UAE and Dubai to explore the prospect of potato export. Mandi Parishad has already registered four potato varieties including Kufri Bahar, Kufri Badshah, Kufri Sutlej and Kufri Sinduri under the brand name ‘Taj’.
The delegation signed an MoU with the Sri Lankan importers. The potato would be exported at rate of $ 230 per metric tonne.
“The local farmers were worried lot since the growth of potato was stunted due to cold shock. But we got the market for the potato and expect that Sri Lankan importers will place order for more potato during May and June,” Dubey said.
Talks were also held with the owner of Lulu Hypermarket Yusuf Ali and he agreed to sale the ‘Taj’ brand potato on trial basis. If there is demand for this variety of potato from the consumers, we will export,” Dubey said.
To streamline the export process, Mandi Parishad has decided to set up a modern mandi at Navi Mumbai.
Talks have been finalised with Navbharat cold storage and they have provided space to store 700 metric tonne potatoes. They have also tied up with Al Cargo Shipping Agency for transportation.
Mandi Parishad has also planned to establish Integrated Potato Pack House in Meerut. This house will help the farmers grade, wash and package the potatoes.
