Farmers of plains would get Rs 450-550 per quintal for their potato produce in forthcoming season. This forecast has been made by scientists of Agricultural Economics department of Pantnagar University under a sub-project on establishing and networking of market intelligence centres in India of National Agricultural Innovation Project Sponsored by the World Bank.
The main objective of this project is to release price forecasts of selected agricultural commodities before sowing and during harvesting. Project team of Pantnagar centre conducted market survey of Haldwani regulated market, a major market for plain’s potato in Uttarakhand, and analysed wholesale price data which prevailed for last 22 years.
The econometric analysis indicated that wholesale prices of plain’s potato in Haldwani market would be in the range of Rs 450 to 550 per quintal from January to March 2014. Hence, the scientists have advised farmers to take marketing and storage decisions of plain’s potato according to price forecasted.
The traders of Krishi Utpadan Mandi Samittee, Haldwani had reported that Uttarakhand is not self-sufficient in meeting the demand of potato for the state and they have to procure plain’s potato from other markets like Farukhabad, Sambhal, Ujhani, Badaun and Agra markets of Uttar Pradesh and Hoshiarpur and Jalandhar markets of Punjab.
The sowing of potato in plains starts from mid-September and ends till November. Harvesting of the crop starts from mid-December and lasts up to March. The arrival of newly harvested crop starts from mid-December and ends in April. Thereafter, the arrival of plain’s potato is from cold stores. According to trader’s survey January, February and March are the peak arrival months and June, July and August are the lean arrival months of plain’s potato in Haldwani market.