Potato cold storages may run out of space soon

With potato selling prices stabilising around ₹600-seven-hundred a quintal across a variety of agricultural marketplaces in the state, growers are now opting to retail store the spud in cold storages in check out of decrease returns.

This will result in cold storages running out of space soon, in accordance to business officials.

“Cold storages in Bengal are complete as farmers have opted to retail store potatoes, anticipating to get much better selling prices later on on,” stated Patit Paban De, forme president of West Bengal Cold Storage Affiliation (WBCSA). “Arrivals have flooded marketplaces in a variety of areas of the state these as Gujarat, Bengal, Punjab, Bihar and Uttar Pradesh. Most of the arrivals have been diverted to the cold storages,” stated Ashish Expert, Senior Vice-President, Federation of Cold Storage Affiliation of India (FCSAI).

Even though potato modal selling prices (premiums at which most trades take position) in some marketplaces these as Fatehbad in Uttar Pradesh are ruling at ₹550 a quintal — practically flat due to the fact past thirty day period — premiums in other marketplaces of the Point out are fluctuating concerning ₹540 and ₹630 based on the day-to-day arrivals.

In Bengal, the spud selling prices are ruling concerning ₹650 and ₹825 a quintal against a bare minimum assist price (MSP) of ₹600 fastened by the Point out govt past thirty day period. At retail shops in Delhi and Mumbai, potato is ruling at ₹15 and ₹30 a kg, respectively, in accordance to Ministry of Buyer Affairs details. “Prices have dropped for the reason that the crop in some places has been impacted by scab ailment. That is one particular of the explanations why they have sought to set their create in cold storage,” stated Expert, who is also Gujarat Cold Storage Affiliation President.

“Cold storages in Gujarat, Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and other increasing places are complete,” Paban de stated.

Expert stated cold storages would brim with potato stocks in a week’s time with stuffing of the spud being carried out at this time.

Potatoes impacted with the scab diseases look with black spots or scars. “Housewives do not favor these potatoes. So, growers are forced to decrease the selling prices,” stated the FSCAI Senior Vice-President.

But for the scars and black spots, potatoes impacted by scab are risk-free to take in and their top quality continue to be intact.

Greater creation

On the other hand, creation of potatoes that are used for chips, wafers or processing is also significant by 50 lakh bags (of 50 kg each individual), stated Expert. “But they have been impacted by nematode in some locations,” he stated.

“Potatoes used for chips and wafers are advertising at around ₹1,250 a quintal. Charges are decrease by at minimum ₹2,000 in comparison with past yr,” stated Ajay Agrawal, a trader in Indore, Madhya Pradesh.

“This yr, arrivals are higher as creation is higher. In our space, creation is at minimum twenty five per cent higher than past yr,” he stated.

In accordance to the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers’ Welfare, potato creation through the recent time (July 2020-June 2021) is probable to be a history fifty three.11 million tonnes (mt) in comparison with forty eight.fifty six mt a yr ago.

Manufacturing is higher in check out of the space under cultivation raising to 2.twenty five million hectares (m ha) from 2.05 a yr ago.

In 2019, creation was decrease as the crop was impacted by unseasonal rains in the increasing places – of specifically Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh- , though farmers also did not clearly show desire in check out of lower selling prices then.

Apart from, higher consumption of potato, reportedly, because of to men and women remaining at household because of to the novel Coronavirus pandemic also resulted in the price spike.

This yr, farmers were being inspired by higher selling prices through September-November to go in for planting of the spud. Potato selling prices in November ruled concerning ₹2,750 and ₹2,900 a quintal in significant agricultural marketplaces across the state.