After onions, price of potato is rapidly rising in Kolkata, Delhi and other metro cities of the country. It has already increased by about 75 per cent in Delhi and in Kolkata. The price rise is due to the loss of crops and delay in harvesting in the primary potato producing states of northern India due to the untimely winter rain this year.
Interestingly, farmers in these states have been gradually shifting from potato cultivation to other crops due to a wide gap between the retail and the wholesale prices. While retail prices for potato continue to be high, wholesale prices are two-three times lower. With a large number of farmers in the primary potato producing states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Haryana shifting to other crops, the acreage of the crop in the country has significantly reduced thus drastically reducing the supply of the crop. However, this is a long-term effect, and not something that may have impacted the market or prices immediately.
The government has said that the hike is temporary and is likely to come down over the next 10 days as supplies are increasing. Potatoes are selling at Rs. 40 in some markets in Delhi although the official data claim that the prices remained around Rs. 32.
In Kolkata, the jyoti variety is currently selling at Rs.24 while the chandramukhi variety is selling at Rs. 29. Sellers say that potatoes from Punjab and Haryana reach the market by this time of the year, but this year the supplies haven’t reached yet because of the country-wide unrest following the clearance of the Citizenship Amendment Act in the Parliament. Also, supplies which are stuck midway due to the prevailing unrest, run a high chance of perishing before reaching the market. Some sellers say that the new crop is likely to reach the market after December 25 and till then the prices may keep rising.
In Odisha too, potatoes have been selling at Rs. 24 which, only two days ago, sold at Rs. 20. Sellers say that a large part of supplies come from West Bengal which has been affected due to the railway services in certain parts of the state.
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