February 15, 2025

Deabruak

The business lovers

Potato firms up on steady demand, lower output

Potato rates in West Bengal have firmed up by virtually 16 for each cent above the final a person thirty day period backed by steady demand and lower output of the tuber this calendar year. The wholesale selling price of potato (the normal Jyoti selection), which was ruling at ₹1,800-one,900 a quintal in the very first 7 days of June, has gone up to ₹2,200 a quintal at current.

The retail selling price of the normal selection (Jyoti) is ₹28 a kg, ₹3 a kg greater than the ₹25 a kg a fortnight back. The top quality Chandramukhi selection is fetching ₹34-35 a kg (₹28 a kg a fortnight back).

In accordance to Patit Pavan De, Member, West Bengal Cold Storage Association, though the all round release of potatoes from cold storages up to June finish this calendar year is practically at par with final calendar year, offloading, even so, was lower in the thirty day period of June. This pushed up rates.

Also, the Condition federal government has been procuring potato for its mid-working day meal plan at a fairly greater selling price (practically ₹3 a kg greater than its common procurement selling price). This has also served rates to firm up.

“The lower output of potatoes, coupled with a steady demand from federal government for mid-working day meal plan, has firmed up potato rates in Bengal,” De informed BusinessLine.

Potato output in West Bengal has been lower than anticipated generally because of to the delayed sowing and the unfavourable weather circumstances all through harvesting. The Condition, which generates a hundred and ten-a hundred and fifteen lakh tonnes of the tuber each individual calendar year, is approximated to develop just 85-ninety lakh tonnes this calendar year, lower than final year’s output of ninety two lakh tonnes.

Worry buying

The loading in cold storages has also been lower as in comparison to final calendar year, with only fifty five lakh tonnes (about 79 for each cent of the overall capacity) of potato building its way to storage models. There are all around four hundred cold storages in Bengal and they are capable of storing near to 70 lakh tonnes of potatoes.

The overall release of potato up to June finish is near to 23 for each cent, which is at par with final calendar year. Offloading of potato typically begins only all around finish April or early May and the entire demand for the tuber is met via direct harvest from the fields. Nonetheless, this calendar year, the lower output and the greater demand from inside and exterior the Condition because of to panic buying in the wake of Covid lockdown experienced led to offloading of potato from cold storages in April eight-ten for each cent was unveiled in April.

The West Bengal federal government, on Tuesday, issued orders to reimpose a entire lockdown throughout containment zones in Kolkata and throughout all districts of the Condition, suspending all pursuits apart from necessary services, in watch of soaring selection of coronavirus instances.

This is likely to direct to a spurt in demand for the tuber, thereby pushing up rates, a trader mentioned. West Bengal has now been witnessing a spike in demand for potato on the back of reverse migration of staff to the Condition. This apart, there has been a acceptable demand coming in from Assam, Bihar and Jharkhand.