As the price of potato is going to remain stable between `900 and `1000 per quintal in January and February 2015, the scientists at GB Pant University of Agriculture and Technology (GBPUAT), Pantnagar, have advised the farmers to take marketing and storage decisions on potato according to the price forecast.
Interestingly, prices of potatoes have already come down of late in the local markets here and as has been forecast by the scientists, the downward trends in the potato prices may continue at least till February next year.
The main objective of releasing price forecasts of selected agricultural commodities like potato before sowing and during harvesting, is to help the farmers engaged in cultivation of commodities like potatoes take right decision before sowing of the crops or marketing of the same, maintained the scientists of the GBPUAT. The scientists managed to forecast the prices of the potatoes after conducting a market survey of Haldwani regulated market, a major market for potato in Uttarakhand.
The econometric analysis indicated that the wholesale prices of potato in Haldwani market would be in the range of `900 per quintal and `1000 per quintal in January and February 2015, added the scientists.
The sowing of potato in plain areas starts from mid-September and ends in November, while the harvesting of crop starts from January. The arrival of newly harvested potato crop starts from January and ends in April. Thereafter, the supply of potato starts from cold stores, added the scientists.
Mention worthy, China ranks first while India and Russia rank second and third, respectively, in potato production in the world, as the scientists said. India contributes approximately 12.42 percent of the world’s total potato production. Potato is a most widely grown vegetable crop in India. Major potato-growing states are Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Assam and Karnataka which together account for about 90 per cent of India’s production.