Higher Yield Pushes Down Potato Price By Rs 5/KG in West Bengal

The price of potatoes in West Bengal declined by Rs. 4-5 per kg as compared to last year. However, the wholesale price of the tuber (Jyoti variety) is nearly Rs. 14-15 per kg in 2023 as against Rs. 19-20 the previous year. Additionally, the average price of potatoes this year in cold storage is nearly Rs. 9 per kg which was Rs. 18 per kg last year. 

However, the industry assures that the farmer will not suffer from losses because the prices hold steady as of now.

Although the tuber first sold for roughly Rs. 19 to Rs. 20 per kilogramme at the start of the season, prices afterwards experienced a considerable decline. The loading price this year is approximately Rs. 9 per kg, and after deducting all costs, the farmer is projected to gain between Rs. 2 and 3 per kilogramme at the current pricing.

The Member and Former President of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, Patit Paban De said that the loading price of Tuber (Jyoti Variety) was more the previous year because of the lower production.

And, it was a general mawkishness that the price of tuber will go up. The discharge of potatoes from cold storage has started in some districts, including Midnapore and Burdwan, as the potatoes at the farm end are becoming exhausted. In the upcoming days, we anticipate the release to increase. A kg of high-quality Jyoti potatoes costs about Rs.14– Rs.15. We anticipate that a sizable number of potatoes will flow into surrounding states if prices stay as they are. This ought to keep prices steady at their present levels.

The production of potatoes in West Bengal, which is behind Uttar Pradesh the second-largest producer, is probably going to increase this year. Although the State's crop size is anticipated to be close to 130-140 lakh tonnes this year, the industry anticipates a little smaller crop of 100-110 lakh tonnes.

This is approximately 29% more than the production of 85 lakh tonnes last year and nearly 16% more than the State's typical production of 95–100 lakh tonnes annually. According to official projections, UP would probably produce close to 240 lakh tonnes.