Bumper crop in India brings down potato prices, causes storage nightmare, and leaves farmers in distress

Published 2023년 3월 21일

Tridge summary

India is facing a potato oversupply, resulting in low prices and losses for farmers due to the use of high-yield seed potatoes. The country's annual production is around 50-55 million tons, and the recent harvest saw prices crash from 1,200 INR to 500 INR per quintal. The situation is worsened by the lack of cold storage space and a recent cold storage roof collapse that killed 14 workers. Farmers are demanding the government to procure potatoes at the minimum support price and distribute them to the poor through the Public Distribution System. However, the government has not yet responded. The situation varies across different provinces, with farmers in Gujarat faring better due to commercial farming and more cold stores.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

India which is the second-largest producer of potatoes in the world has witnessed a bumper crop in the November–February harvest. And, the farmers are not quite happy with this as the oversupply has brought down the prices, making farmers incur losses. The overproduction is largely due to the use of higher-yield seed potatoes which in many cases were used for the first time, catching farmers unaware about their yield potential. India's annual potato production is in the range of 50-55 million tons, and it stands in the No. 2 position after China in the table of the world's largest potato producers. India's potato-growing states include Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh (UP), Bihar, Madhya Pradesh (MP), and West Bengal. When potatoes from the latest harvest hit the market, the cold storage already had supplies left from the previous harvest. Indian farmers plant potatoes twice a year. In Bihar, UP, and West Bengal, it is done in January and October while in MP, ...

Source: Potatopro