Kolkata: At Rs 30 per kg, humble potato pinches pockets

KOLKATA: Retail potato price in Kolkata markets, on Monday, touched Rs 30 per kg, burning holes in consumers’ pockets. Farmers and cold storage owners blamed it on a lower production this year and increase in demand from neighbouring states in the past few weeks. But they are hopeful that price may stabilise soon.
At markets across the city, potato price (Jyoti variety) on Monday was at Rs 30 per kilo. The premium Chandramukhi variety was sold at Rs 35-36 per kilo. Prices increased steadily at the wholesale points as well and the Jyoti variety was sold at Rs 25-26 per kilo on Monday. “We have never seen potato prices rising to such levels in the recent past,” said Ramapada Pal, executive committee member of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association.

Earlier in 2014, Pal said, the state government had to intervene and put a cap on the prices. The price of the Jyoti variety had then soared to Rs 18 a kg and the state had to introduce a cap of Rs 13 per kg.
According to farmers, the trouble started after the state recorded a lower output at 88 lakh tonne this year. The domestic demand during the lockdown, however, remained robust and demand from neighbouring states like Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar continued. State government increased the procurement price of the crop for mid-day meal supplies at Rs 25 per kg from Rs 22 a kilo.
“This pushed prices up a bit as farmers kept the Rs 25 per kilo as the lower threshold limit for the tuber. It has increased further to Rs 26 per kilo in July,” said Keshab Ghosh, a potato farmer in Tarakeswar, Hooghly.
According to Patit Paban Dey, former general secretary of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, potato loading at 465 cold storages in the state was 22% lower this year. While potato was loaded in clod storages in March-April at Rs 600-650 per 50 kilo bag, prices have firmed up a lot since then. On Monday, it has doubled to Rs 1,235 per 50 kilo bag. “What you see in retail markets in the city is quite absurd. It has been increasing steadily in the past few months, but prices at the city markets are quite high,” Dey felt. Farmers also pointed at the artificial firming up of prices by a section of traders. “Usually, there is a profit of Re 1 per kilo by traders. Given the current price points it seems to be much higher,” said Dey.
Pradip Mazumdar, advisor to West Bengal on agriculture, said that the government was keeping a close tab on prices.
“It has firmed up a bit, but we feel that it will come down now. It might take some days, though,” he said.