Because of cold storage, there will an additional price load of Rs 4-5 per kg. (Representational)
Kolkata:
Potato prices have risen by about 25 per cent last week with retail potato prices in most city markets ranging between Rs 18 and Rs 20 per kg as against Rs 14-15 since the beginning of the week.
"Till now, the potatoes arriving in markets were from farmers' storages which have exhausted. The crop is now beginning to arrive from the cold storages which have caused the price rise," West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA) president Patit Paban Dey told PTI.
Potato prices have also shot up in the neighboring Odisha as well as a few other states.
For every kg of potato coming out of the cold storages, there will an additional price load of Rs 4-5 per kg due to the cost involved in storage.
The panchayat poll, set to be held in May 14, has created a crisis in availability of labourers of cold storages. This has led to the price rise caused due to a sudden supply shortage in few markets.
Former president of WBCSA Ramapada Paul said cold storages are able to supply only a fraction of the demand due to unavailability of labourers who are unwilling to come owing to the impending panchayat election.
An agriculture consultant in Posta wholesale market, Sibu Malakar said retail prices of potato should be Rs 20 a kg for the 'Jyoti' variety unless supply hampers in the short run and demand from other states rises sharply.
The price rise is not due to reduced production of potato in Bengal which was at about 100 lakh tonnes, 10 per cent lower than previous year's yield. Production in other potato producing states has suffered more.
State agriculture marketing minister Tapan Dasgupta said his department was keeping an eye on any possible hoarding and will take all necessary action if the price volatility increases.
He also said they want to strike a balance to keep the interest of the potato farmers too since the price realization was not lucrative last year.
"Till now, the potatoes arriving in markets were from farmers' storages which have exhausted. The crop is now beginning to arrive from the cold storages which have caused the price rise," West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA) president Patit Paban Dey told PTI.
Potato prices have also shot up in the neighboring Odisha as well as a few other states.
For every kg of potato coming out of the cold storages, there will an additional price load of Rs 4-5 per kg due to the cost involved in storage.
The panchayat poll, set to be held in May 14, has created a crisis in availability of labourers of cold storages. This has led to the price rise caused due to a sudden supply shortage in few markets.
Former president of WBCSA Ramapada Paul said cold storages are able to supply only a fraction of the demand due to unavailability of labourers who are unwilling to come owing to the impending panchayat election.
An agriculture consultant in Posta wholesale market, Sibu Malakar said retail prices of potato should be Rs 20 a kg for the 'Jyoti' variety unless supply hampers in the short run and demand from other states rises sharply.
The price rise is not due to reduced production of potato in Bengal which was at about 100 lakh tonnes, 10 per cent lower than previous year's yield. Production in other potato producing states has suffered more.
State agriculture marketing minister Tapan Dasgupta said his department was keeping an eye on any possible hoarding and will take all necessary action if the price volatility increases.
He also said they want to strike a balance to keep the interest of the potato farmers too since the price realization was not lucrative last year.
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