[ad_1]
By Arun Kumar Shrivastav
A bumper potato crop and a surplus from the earlier 12 months have led to a pointy fall in costs. And, it’s driving tens of millions of Indian potato farmers to desperation in the principle potato-growing states — Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Gujarat, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. India is the world’s second-largest potato producer, with an annual manufacturing of fifty million tons. China leads the chart with 78 million tons. Ukraine and Russia take the third and fourth slots with 21 million tons and 20 million tons respectively. The entire international potato manufacturing was 376 million tons in 2021.
Officers within the Indian state of West Bengal which is a significant potato-growing state estimate the output to be 12 million tons, a whopping 33% greater than the output final 12 months, whose surplus of three lakh tons remains to be mendacity in chilly storage throughout the state. Because of this, potato costs have fallen to Rs 5 per kg or Rs 500 for a quintal within the wholesale market. The enter price for potato per bigha in West Bengal is about Rs 25,000 whereas farmers are incomes a most of Rs 17,000 from the per bigha output. The costs could fall additional when the complete harvest, which has simply begun, involves the market.
Whereas the surplus potato can earn a superb revenue if saved in chilly storage and brought out when the costs are up. However, proper now, farmers want cash to repay the mortgage taken in the course of the potato plantation season and spend money on the upcoming summer time season crops. West Bengal is holding Panchayat elections in July 2023 and the 15 lakh potato farmers within the state who’re hit by overproduction and price-crash could harm the prospects of the ruling All India Trinamool Congress.
A Instances of India report offers a vivid description of the farmers’ plight. One 57-year-old Sukumar Ghosh reportedly consumed poison and was pronounced lifeless on arrival on the hospital. His family members stated Ghosh had mortgaged his spouse’s jewellery and took a mortgage of Rs 3 lakh. He invested the cash in potatoes, anticipating good returns. However the bumper crop resulted in a price-crash, leaving Ghosh in utter frustration. A company that represents farmers is demanding that the state authorities purchase the surplus potatoes from farmers. Though the state authorities is but to make any announcement on the problem, given the tight monetary scenario of state governments, it doesn’t appear to be a proposal on the desk proper now.
In the meantime, potato costs in Punjab have reportedly fallen to 1 / 4 of the value paid for the seeds. The state primarily grows seed potatoes utilized by farmers everywhere in the nation. Some elements of Punjab have the identical standing in farming seed potatoes as North Gujarat has for rising process-variety potatoes which might be utilized in making French fries and potato chips. The seed potatoes, whose demand has plummeted this 12 months to document ranges, are utilized by farmers for 3 consecutive seasons earlier than they flip to new seeds. Extra potato manufacturing within the nation is of the desk selection that’s generally utilized in family kitchens. Apart from the bumper crop, the dimensions of the potatoes can also be smaller this 12 months.
The worth of desk potatoes throughout this time final 12 months was about Rs 1200 per quintal. It’s Rs 500 this 12 months. Equally, the value of seed potatoes was Rs 2000 per quintal final 12 months which is now between Rs 1000 and Rs 1200 per quintal.
In distinction to farmers’ plight in potato-growing states, the situation of potato farmers in Gujarat is barely higher due to the combination of process-variety and table-variety of potatoes grown by them. The state is predicted to provide 1.9 million tons of potatoes appropriate for processing and three.3 million tons of table-variety potatoes. Course of-variety potatoes are grown primarily in Aravalli and Sabarkantha districts in North Gujarat. The method-variety of potatoes in Gujarat is usually grown by way of contract farming during which massive firms are concerned all through the totally different phases of manufacturing — plantation, cultivation, harvest, and storage. That is slowly however certainly enhancing the general farming and storage practices within the state. For instance, there have been 532 chilly storages, with 95 in North Gujarat, and in 2022 in Gujarat. In 2023, 10 extra chilly storages are being added and all of them are going to be in North Gujarat, the place process-variety of potatoes are grown on contract farming.
Farmers develop potatoes twice a 12 months. Within the plains of Bihar, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, a spring crop in January and the principle crop in early October are planted. In Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Karnataka, the Kharif and Rabi crops are planted in June and October-November respectively.
From the purpose of meals safety, potatoes that are the fourth largest crop after, maize, rice, and wheat, are extraordinarily vital. Additionally, its cultivation requires much less water. Neglecting potato farmers is definitely not a superb possibility for India. From the Horn of Africa to Afghanistan and Pakistan, meals crises are actual. Let’s not underestimate it! (IPA Service)
The put up Indian Farmers Battling Worth Crash After A Bumper Potato Harvest first appeared on IPA Newspack.
[ad_2]
Source link
