Even as prices of vegetables such as onions and tomatoes and those of poultry and fisheries products galloped during December-January, at least one vegetable has headed south and promises respite to consumers ? the humble potato.
While retail prices of onions in Delhi and Mumbai soared to more than Rs 60 per kg in December last year, potato prices went around Rs 9 per kg in Delhi and Rs 21 in Mumbai. The reason is enough supply, and increased area under cultivation, say industry experts.
Bijay Kumar, managing director, National Horticulture Board, said: “Last year we had a bumper crop of potato, and this year also we expect the same.”
He explained that most of the potato crop in the country has cleared the blight phase, and there have been no reports of disease in the potato crop except in a very small area in Madhya Pradesh where the crop has been affected by frost. “That is a very small area and will not impact the overall numbers much,? he told FE.
Dinesh Arora, a trader at the wholesale Azadpur mandi in Delhi, said that steady supply from centres such as Jalandhar in Punjab and Bangalore in Karnataka had caused prices to drop slightly. On 21 January, the wholesale price of potatoes at Azadpur, Asia’s biggest fruits and vegetables market, stood at Rs 170 per quintal for the regular variety and Rs 210 per quintal for the best quality produce, Arora said.
The low prices in potatoes are likely to continue in the near future even as food inflation stubbornly hovers in the mid double digits. Potato futures prices for March delivery fell by Rs 5.80 or 0.86% to Rs 672.40 per quintal on the Multi Commodity Exchange, on the back of increased supply on Friday.
Rustom Singh, a potato farmer who has at least 20 acre under cultivation in Dauji, Uttar Pradesh, said: ?I am expecting a good harvest this year in February. The crop is healthy and many farmers have even increased the area under cultivation.?
He said last year’s low potato prices also meant seeds were available for cheap, incentivising farmers in the potato belt near Agra to grow the crop over more land. He expects to make Rs 4-5 per kg when he brings his harvest to market.
Wholesale food inflation slipped marginally to 15.52% in the week ended 8 January, according to the latest commerce ministry data. But despite the recent drop in prices, vegetables such as onions and tomatoes and poultry and fisheries products remained expensive for consumers.