BHUBANESWAR: The state government found itself on a sticky wicket after potato prices spiked again in the open markets of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack on Tuesday.
After skyrocketing to Rs 60 per kg two weeks back, the price of potatoes started cooling down following procurement of the tuber from Uttar Pradesh. The commodity was selling at Rs 35 a kg till Monday but the price suddenly surged to Rs 50 per kg on Tuesday.
Potato traders of the twin city attributed the sudden rise in price to depleting stocks at major mandis as the West Bengal government is up to its old tricks.
The spurt in potato price was witnessed a day after Food Supplies and Consumer Welfare Minister Krushna Chandra Patra claimed that the market situation has stabilised after procurement from UP.
Traders of Chhatra Bazaar, the major vegetable stockyard of Cuttack city, said there is no supply from West Bengal in the last three days. Not a single consignment of the tuber has arrived in Cuttack as potato-laden trucks are not allowed to cross from the West Bengal side by TMC supporters while the local police have turned a blind eye, they alleged.
Similarly, procurement from UP has slowed down as Odisha traders are not taking risk to place indent fearing damage due to rain. “It will take at least four days for UP potatoes to reach Odisha by road. Apart from the high transportation cost, the possibility of the potatoes getting damaged during transportation is high. Traders are not keen to take the risk without government intervention,” said the secretary of Kuberpuri Byabasayi Sangha Shakti Shankar Mishra.
He said there is a need for the state government to help the traders by providing transportation subsidy from the price stabilisation fund to regulate the price volatility. “Transportation cost for 20 tonne of potatoes from Uttar Pradesh comes to Rs 80,000. If the state government will provide a subsidy of Rs 10,000, traders will have no problem taking the risk. Odisha government should take up the matter with its UP counterpart as their transporters will supply the potatoes,” said Mishra.
The other option for the government is to procure potatoes from UP in bulk through railway and store it in cold storage. The state has enough storage facilities to keep a stock of 10,000 tonnes. The price stabilisation fund is used when there is high price fluctuation of potatoes, onions and pulses in the retail market, he said.