new Delhi. The arrival of the new crop of potatoes has started and the arrival may increase from next week, although the fall in prices can be expected only after Diwali. On Wednesday, a truck landed at Unad in Himachal Pradesh on Wednesday at Azadpur mandi in the country’s capital, which sold for Rs 50 a kg in bulk. This information was given by Rajendra Sharma, General Secretary, Azadpur Mandi Potato Onion Merchant Association. Sharma said that the arrival of new potatoes from Una and Haldwani has started and the new potato is also expected to hit the market from Hoshiarpur in Punjab next week.
However, he said that the fall in the price of potatoes can only come after the increase in arrivals after Diwali.
According to the price list of Azadpur Mandi Agricultural Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), the wholesale price of potato in the mandi on Wednesday was Rs 20 to Rs 42 per kg while the model rate was Rs 29.25 per kg.
At the same time, the retail price of potato in Delhi-NCR was Rs 40 to Rs 50 per kg.
However, according to the price list available on the website of the Department of Consumer Affairs under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, the lowest retail price of potato was Rs 26 and maximum Rs 80 per kg across the country on Wednesday as compared to the previous day’s potato. The retail price was Rs 26 to Rs 60.
However, traders say that the arrival of new potatoes in the mandis of North India will reduce prices in other parts of the country.
Explain that to curb the price of potato, the central government
It is allowed to import 10 lakh tonnes of potatoes under the tariff rate quota at 10% import duty. Potatoes are being sourced from Bhutan to increase the availability of potatoes in the country. For this, the license requirement for importing potatoes from Bhutan by 31 January 2021 has been removed.
Dr. Manoj Kumar, Executive Director of Central Potato Research Institute based in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, under the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, said that due to the favorable weather in North India, farmers have intensified the sowing of potatoes and due to higher prices Farmers’ interest in farming has increased.
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