Even while a supply glut has brought down potato prices in West Bengal to its cost of production this year, the prospect of a higher crop in South India is likely to further depress prices.

West Bengal is the second largest potato-growing State in the country. Nearly 40 per cent of the State’s production is sold in Odisha, Assam, Bihar, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh.

According to Patit Paban De, a member of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, there has been a 25-30 per cent rise in potato sowing in South India this year.

In the South, potato is primarily grown in the Hassan district of Karnataka. Smaller quantities are grown in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. Together, the southern States produce around 7 lakh tonnes each year with Hassan alone growing around 5 lakh tonnes. Harvesting of potatoes in South India begins by July-end and goes on till September-end.

Favourable weather

“The weather in South India is favourable for harvesting the crop. The sowing has been higher this year. If the weather continues to be like this, then there could be a 25-30 per cent higher crop touching 9 lakh tonnes this year,” De told Business Line .

Unlike in the southern States, sowing in West Bengal begins by October-end and goes on till mid-December, following which the harvest begins.

There has been a 12 per cent rise in potato production in West Bengal to nearly 98 lakh tonnes this year.

Around 50-55 lakh tonnes are consumed in the local markets.

“A higher crop in South India will bring down the demand for our produce in the southern markets, thereby impacting prices,” said Sukumar Samanta, General Secretary, Singur Ratanpur Aloo Byabasayi Samiti.

Higher stock

Meanwhile, the wholesale prices of potatoes in West Bengal are ruling steady at last week’s level at around Rs 400 a quintal.

A higher production coupled with a delay in the process of unloading from cold storages has left higher stocks in storage units this year compared with last year.

Only 23 per cent of the potatoes kept in cold storages have come into the market this year compared with 30 per cent last year, Samanta said.

Close to 59 lakh tonnes of potatoes have been stored in the 425-odd cold storages in the State this year.

Typically, potatoes find their way out of these cold storages by the end of November and the storage house is cleared and kept closed for maintenance between early December and mid-February.

“If the trend continues like this and if there is a drop in demand from southern States then we might be left with more than 15 per cent of the stock even till the end of December this year,” Samanta said.

> shobha.roy@thehindu.co.in

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