India: Good news for Gujarat potato production
Lower production in other states has meant great news for Gujurat, as although potato production there has increased 15%, potato farmers are still getting better prices for their produce.
In 2015, local farmers were earning Rs5-6 per kg, now they are receiving Rs10 per kg in the wholesale markets.
Top potato growing states -Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal -have seen production decline by 5% and 15%, respectively, due to unfavourable weather conditions. Although the yield in Gujarat, too, has dipped by 10% this year, unlike other major states Gujarat has registered an increase in potato production on account of higher acreage. In fact, the potato output has galloped substantially over the last two years.
The potato production in an area of 100,000 hectare was around 3.5 million tonnes as against 3.1 million tonnes of 2015 and 2.3 million tonnes in 2014.
Agriculture minister, Babubhai Bokhiriya, said, "There is low potato production in the country, barring Gujarat, and hence the farmers are getting good prices. The other reason being that the state has, in the last year, increased its cold storage capacity, which has led to better storage facilities, and hence the farmers expecting a higher price later are storing their produce, rather than selling on spot," he said.
The cold storage capacity in Gujarat saw the addition of approximately 625,000 tonnes (12.5 million bags of 50 kg each). Currently, the capacity is 2.25 million tonnes, while the annual consumption of potato in the state is 2 million tonnes.
Gujarat has over 420 cold storages located mainly in Banaskantha, Sabarkantha and Kheda. Gujarat potatoes are supplied to Maharashtra and states in south India, and are exported to Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Mauritius.
(1 Indian Rupee= 0.015 USD)
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
Fuente: http://www.freshplaza.com/article/156222/Good-news-for-Gujarat-potato-production
