BHUBANESWAR: The State Government will create a buffer stock of potatoes as prices are likely to increase in coming months due to drop in production of the tuber in neighbouring West Bengal.
“The prices of potato is in rising trend and likely to touch Rs 30 or Rs 40 a kg in next few months.
The State Government is considering to create a buffer stock keeping in view the price trend. We have decided to purchase potatoes worth Rs 28-30 crore through National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation (NAFED) for market intervention,” Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister S N Patro said.
He further informed that the Centre has written to all the states about possible hike in the prices of potato during October-November due to shortfall in production in major producing states. The State Government will take all possible steps to safeguard the interest of the consumers, he added.
Earlier, the Potato Merchant Association had cautioned the State Government about spiralling prices of potato. Though there is a marginal fall in production, West Bengal, the major supplier of potato to Odisha, has started regulating the price to recover the loss of there farmers, sources in the trade said.
With bumper potato crops in the last two years, the West Bengal farmers could not recover cost. Interestingly, prices of potato soared after harvesting of the new crop. The vegetable, which was selling at Rs 10 a kg till the first week of March, got costlier after arrival of the winter crop. Generally, the new crop is available at a cheaper rate while the old stock is sold at higher rate. But the price trend was reverse this year.
Potato prices in the wholesale mandi at Aiginia is Rs 1050 per quintal. Ideally, the retail price should be within Rs 13 a kg. However, the vegetable is being sold at Rs 14-15 a kg in the city. While the State’s potato requirement is about 10 lakh tonne per annum, its annual production is about 2 lakh tonne.