BHUBANESWAR: With no sign of a drop in potato price even after arrival of 300 truckloads of the tuber from Uttar Pradesh, the state government has intensified its market surveillance to ascertain the reasons behind the unusual trend.
The enforcement squads of the Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare department conducted raids and stock verification at Chhatra Bazar in Cuttack and Unit-IV market in Bhubaneswar on Monday and followed it up at several places including Aiginia, the major vegetable mandi of the capital city for the second day on Tuesday.
The squad that visited Aiginia mandi found a potato stock of 500 tonne which is sufficient to take care of the city and peripheral areas for two days. They also found the wholesale price of potato ranging between Rs 32 and Rs 34 a kg which should translate to Rs 40 a kg in the retail market. However, the tuber continued to be sold at Rs 50 a kg.
Secretary of Aiginia Byabasayee Sangha Shakti Shankar Mishra told the TNIE that there is sufficient stock with incoming supply from Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal. “However, the transportation cost is high for both as the supply from the neighbouring state is through circuitous routes due to the embargo imposed by their government. This has affected the prices,” Mishra said.
A retail trader also attributed the high prices to the quality of potato. “As this is the end of the season, the potato quality is not up to the mark. There is substantial wastage in each package. The traders have to take the wastage into account,” he said.