Potato firms up on steady demand, lower output

Potato selling prices in West Bengal have firmed up by just about 16 for each cent in excess of the previous 1 thirty day period backed by regular demand and decreased generation of the tuber this 12 months. The wholesale price of potato (the typical Jyoti wide variety), which was ruling at ₹1,800-one,900 a quintal in the 1st week of June, has gone up to ₹2,two hundred a quintal at current.

The retail price of the typical wide variety (Jyoti) is ₹28 a kg, ₹3 a kg better than the ₹25 a kg a fortnight ago. The quality Chandramukhi wide variety is fetching ₹34-35 a kg (₹28 a kg a fortnight ago).

According to Patit Pavan De, Member, West Bengal Chilly Storage Affiliation, while the all round release of potatoes from chilly storages up to June end this 12 months is almost at par with previous 12 months, offloading, nonetheless, was decreased in the thirty day period of June. This pushed up selling prices.

Moreover, the Condition federal government has been procuring potato for its mid-working day food plan at a fairly better price (almost ₹3 a kg better than its typical procurement price). This has also served selling prices to organization up.

“The decreased generation of potatoes, coupled with a regular demand from federal government for mid-working day food plan, has firmed up potato selling prices in Bengal,” De told BusinessLine.

Potato generation in West Bengal has been decreased than predicted principally thanks to the delayed sowing and the unfavourable weather conditions disorders in the course of harvesting. The Condition, which produces a hundred and ten-a hundred and fifteen lakh tonnes of the tuber each 12 months, is estimated to generate just eighty five-ninety lakh tonnes this 12 months, decreased than previous year’s generation of 92 lakh tonnes.

Panic purchasing

The loading in chilly storages has also been decreased as in comparison to previous 12 months, with only fifty five lakh tonnes (close to 79 for each cent of the overall ability) of potato making its way to storage models. There are close to four hundred chilly storages in Bengal and they are capable of storing shut to 70 lakh tonnes of potatoes.

The overall release of potato up to June end is shut to 23 for each cent, which is at par with previous 12 months. Offloading of potato normally begins only close to end April or early Might and the full demand for the tuber is achieved via direct harvest from the fields. However, this 12 months, the decreased generation and the better demand from within just and outdoors the Condition thanks to panic purchasing in the wake of Covid lockdown had led to offloading of potato from chilly storages in April eight-10 for each cent was unveiled in April.

The West Bengal federal government, on Tuesday, issued orders to reimpose a full lockdown across containment zones in Kolkata and across all districts of the Condition, suspending all activities besides vital solutions, in see of increasing variety of coronavirus situations.

This is probable to guide to a spurt in demand for the tuber, therefore pushing up selling prices, a trader explained. West Bengal has already been witnessing a spike in demand for potato on the back of reverse migration of workers to the Condition. This aside, there has been a fair demand coming in from Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.