Potato turns cheaper as Bengal govt begins sale via fair price shops

Potato rates in West Bengal, which had been on a company be aware, are probably to crash as the Point out governing administration has stepped up sale of the tuber by way of its community of honest rate outlets known as Sufal Bangla.

The wholesale rate of potato (Jyoti selection) firmed up by approximately 36 per cent to ₹3,600 a quintal in November this yr as as opposed to same period last yr.

In the wake of growing rates, the Point out Agriculture Internet marketing Office made a decision to market its buffer inventory at ₹25 a kg so as to discourage wholesalers and merchants from pushing the price unusually. The Point out has a community of close to 250 Sufal Bangla outlets.

According to Patit Pavan De, Member, West Bengal Chilly Storage Affiliation, the Point out governing administration has been marketing close to seven.5 lakh kg of potatoes everyday by way of its honest rate outlets. This has served carry down rates in pick out marketplaces.

“The governing administration has its inventory in cold storages, which it has been marketing at these honest rate outlets. Price ranges have occur down in some marketplaces like Midnapore the place it is down by practically 20 per cent in the last fortnight and is at present ruling at about ₹28-29 a kg (₹35-36),” De told BusinessLine.

Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura, East Midnapore and West Midnapore are important developing districts.

Keeping inventory

This aside, the traders have been holding on to the inventory in anticipation of a further rate rise. Near to 6 lt are still remaining held by traders, which is fifty per cent much more than 4 lakh tonne same period last yr. This is probably to carry down the rates.

The overall loading in cold storages this yr was close to fifty five lt. There are about 400 cold storages in Bengal and the overall storage capacity is estimated to be close to 70 lt.

Furthermore, the arrival of potatoes from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh is expected to start out picking up.

Potato production is estimated to be larger across the important developing places of UP, Punjab and Bengal this yr as there has been an increase in place underneath cultivation.

There is estimated to be a 5 per cent increase in place underneath potato cultivation in Bengal as farmers have been inspired by the larger rates the tuber fetched them for two consecutive years. Potato cultivation in Bengal is distribute about close to four.6 lakh hectares.