POTATO growers in India have been seeing an oversupply and financial pressures in recent months.
Those in Yamunanagar district, reported financial pressure. According to Agriculture Department data, potatoes are cultivated on about 2,311 hectares in Yamunanagar district. Early crops account for a large share of the harvested area currently entering the market.
Production costs are about US$2,400 to US$2,880 per hectare, with reported losses of around US$1,440 to US$1,680 per hectare under current price conditions. Growers indicated that storing produce in cold facilities would add further cost without certainty of higher later-season prices.
In recent years, the volume of potato storage has increased significantly in potato-growing regions. Potatoes for industrial use, table and seed potatoes are now almost exclusively stored in crates. Various ventilation systems are available for both surface storage and crate storage.
In Punjab, the state bordering Pakistan, there has been an increased harvest of 25%. The current harvest reached a record 12 million tons and the Punjab government was liaising with Kazakhstan over market access.
Market access outside Pakistan could help absorb surplus supply and support on-farm pricing.
Record production had also been projected in West Bengal, with 14-15 million tons envisaged. This compared to around 11.5 million tons last year.
