Potato prices have shot up across India and in the northern parts of the country it has almost doubled in the last one month owing to higher demand from the four major producing states, where crops were damaged due to high temperature.
In the local retail markets potato, which was available at Rs 4-5 a kg a month ago, is now being sold at Rs 10 a kg.
Similarly in the wholesale market, the vegetable is available Rs 500-600 per 80 kg compared to Rs 250-300 per 80 kg a month earlier, a wholesale trader at Azadpur mandi said.
The prices went up due to crop damage in West Bengal, Assam, Gujarat and Bihar. "Almost 50 per cent of crops were damaged due to very high and fluctuating temperature in the four states resulting in spiralling prices,"Trilok Chand Sharma, President Potato &Onion Merchants Association, Azadpur, said.
Interestingly, at the beginning of the season, farmers had to throw away their produce as there was shortage of cold storages space due to bumper harvest.
