Potato prices in Bengal continue to rule firm on lower output

Potato prices in West Bengal continue to rule firm on the back of lower production this year notwithstanding the lower demand in other markets. The inter-state movement of potatoes from West Bengal is lower this year as a large chunk of the tuber from Uttar Pradesh has been making inroads into these markets, sources said.

The wholesale price of potato (Jyoti variety) is currently ruling at around ₹22-24 a kg this year against ₹15-17 in the same period a year ago. In the retail market, prices of Jyoti potato are hovering around ₹28-30 a kg (₹18-20 a year ago), while that of the premium Chandramukhi variety is commanding close to ₹40-42 a kg (₹25-28).

Unloading yet to pick up

According to Patit Paban De, Member, West Bengal Cold Storage Association, unloading of potatoes from cold storage is yet to gather steam as the demand from other States has been slightly lukewarm. West Bengal potatoes usually are transported to Assam, Bihar, Jharkhand and also to some southern states. However, UP potatoes have been flooding these markets this year.

“UP and some of the other potato-growing States have had a bumper crop this year while our production is down due to unfavourable weather conditions during the sowing period. We are seeing U.P. potatoes flooding various markets including West Bengal particularly in places like Durgapur and Asansol,” De told BusinessLine.

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Potato prices likely to rule firm as weather plays truant

Only seven per cent has been unloaded from cold storage so far this year compared with close to 10 per cent normally at this point of time. Close to 61 lakh tonnes of potatoes have been loaded in the 400-odd cold storages in the State, which accounts for around 82 per cent of their total capacity.

“The unloading from cold storages has been lower so far this year as inter-state movement of potatoes has been hit,” he said.   

20% lower crop

Production of the tuber in West Bengal — the second-largest producer of the spud in the country — is estimated to be lower by around 20 per cent at around 8.5-9 million tonnes (mt) this year due to delayed sowing on the back of untimely rains. The State had harvested a bumper crop, nearly a 16 per cent rise in production at 11 mt compared with 9.5 mt in 2020.

Bengal witnessed untimely rains in November and early December that affected the sowing of the crop. Nearly 55-60 per cent of sowing was complete (when Cyclone Jawad hit) in the key-growing regions of Hooghly, Midnapore, Bankura and Burdwan. The untimely rains, which had left the fields inundated, are not only likely to impact production but also the quality of the new crop. The Chandramukhi variety, which is usually an early variety, was badly impacted due to rains and though re-cultivation was done, a major part of the crop was lost.

Cultivation of potatoes in Bengal is spread over close to 4.6 lakh hectares of land. Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura, East Midnapore and West Midnapore are key growing districts.

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