News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from India

Potato cultivators in West Bengal were afraid they will face severe losses as the price of good quality seeds have skyrocketed even as the minimum support price (MSP) fixed has remained relatively low.

Retail prices of potatoes have risen marginally, given that farmers have been scrambling to stock up on the harvest, which has had a bumper production this year. This very bounty and the stockpiling is expected to keep potato prices stable over the next season.

Predicting a bumper harvest of potato this season, the West Bengal Cabinet on Monday decided to allow cold storage owners to purchase at least 10 lakh (1 Million) metric tons of tuber from farmers at a fixed price, so that they do not have to suffer losses, a senior official said.

Prices of Potatoes and all other vegetables and pulses have steadily increased through the course of the coronavirus-infused lockdown.

Blaming the federal government for the steep hike in prices of essential commodities, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal alleged that the prices were rising as the Centre has snatched away the state's power.

Even as the State Potato Mission failed to take off due to the lack of direction and apathy of the government to the project, it has expressed it desire to revalidate the contract with the International Potato Centre (CIP) for intensification of potato production.

The Kolkata state government (India) had given seven days time to potato traders to lower its wholesale price to Rs 22 per kg so that it can be sold at Rs 25 per kg.

Potato prices have surged 28-38% in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the top two producers of the tuber which has become the staple across India during the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

As weather in West-Bengal, India turns unfavourable, output falls sharply and potato prices shoot up.

India's Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi announced today that he will be addressing the 3rd Global Potato Conclave at Gandhinagar, Gujarat through remote video conferencing tomorrow i.e 28th of January 2020.

Potato prices are likely to remain firm this year because of a fall in acreage for the new crop in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the two top producing states.

Potato prices in West Bengal have firmed up by nearly 44 per cent over the last two months on the back of steady demand from other States.

Potato prices in West Bengal have firmed up by nearly 9 per cent in the last two months, a development caused by a steady demand from neighbouring states.

The West Bengal state government is providing transport subsidy for the benefit of potato farmers, businessmen and cold storage owners, for exporting potatoes to other states.

Snacks and beverages manufacturer PepsiCo plans to invest $5 million by 2020 to expand its sustainable farming programme in India.

In an effort to limit the spread of the Potato Cyst Nematode, the government of India has prohibited the movement of seed potatoes from Himachal, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand and Jammu Kashmir to other states

Potato prices in India are not going to come down in the near future as the production of the crop has been reportedly around 20 per cent lower this year in potato growing states.

Higher potato prices are reported in various states of India (Punjab, West-Bengal), offering relief (Punjab) or even a windfall (West-Bengal) for farmers.