Rabi Potato Production India might be up 25-30% over last year

Domestic potato production in India in the present Rabi season is likely to be 25-30 per cent higher over last year on account of good weather conditions.

This year the production was lower by 10-15 per cent due to untimely rain and Late Blight disease, a plant disease leading to large scale crop destruction. The expectations of higher production has also brought down prices.

With the early harvest already in the market, the wholesale price of the variety is hovering between Rs 10-15 per kg. Nearly 80 per cent of potato crop is sown in the Rabi season, which is consumed throughout the year. The prices of last year’s potato crop from cold storages too have come down to nearly Rs 15-20 per kg in different parts of the country.

According to trade estimates, this year, the country’s total potato production was between 29-30 million metric tonne. In the ensuing season, the production is estimated to be around 33-44 million metric tonne due to good crop in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal.