Kendrapara: A sharp rise in potato price at the time of harvest of the crop has hit the consumers hard in the state, a report said Monday. The price of the essential tuber is increasing and has now touched Rs 28 per kg whereas it was being sold at Rs 20 per kg only a week back in Kendrapara district.
With its price going up when farmers are harvesting the crop, going by the trend, it is apprehended that the prices might reach Rs 70 per kg towards the year-end. This has sparked concern among consumers. Earlier, potato was sold at Rs 7 to 8 per kg during the time of harvest at various places. Niranjan Parida, a potato farmer from Kansar village, said he failed to get potato seeds from government stores while starting the cultivation. Left with no option, he bought potato seeds at Rs 45 per kg from the open market instead of the government-approved rate of Rs 11.25. He sowed the seeds but failed to reap a good harvest. Farmer leader Gayadhar Dhal said over 600 quintals of potato are consumed daily in the district while the tuber is cultivated on 700 hectares of land.
Moreover, the traders also procure potatoes from neighbouring West Bengal to meet the increasing demand among consumers. The district Horticulture department had planned to carry out the cultivation on 1,000 hectares. The farmers here had a requirement of 15,000 quintals of potato seeds or 15 quintals per hectare of land. However, they had to buy seeds from the open market due to delays in arrival or non-availability of seeds at the government stores. Harekrushna Behera, a resident of Jajanga village under Kendrapara block said that the tuber, the common man’s most favoured vegetable, is required in the preparation of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian food. It is a common food item in every rich and poor home.
A senior resident PN Gourang of Pattamundai area said in the absence of industries and mines in the district, agriculture is the mainstay of the people. The fertile land and rivers flowing through the district have strengthened the agricultural economy of the district.
However, people have stopped relying on cultivation as a livelihood option and are switching to other professions due to a lack of foresight among the political leaders and the district administration. River water management is the main problem hindering the growth of agriculture in the district, he said. There is no plan for irrigation facilities or drainage of water from farmland during floods. The district had earlier earned a name in the cultivation of cash crops, oil seed and vegetables like potato, jute, sugarcane, groundnuts, mustard, sesame and brinjal. However, gone are those days as farmers do not receive any support from the state government or the district administration to raise their crops.
Moreover, the lack of marketing facilities, cold storage, good quality seeds and proper training is also ailing the agriculture scenario in the district. The state-sponsored Potato Mission 2015 has failed to augment tuber cultivation. A potato trader Pradip Kumar Sahu said they have to spend more on procuring potatoes from West Bengal. With the transportation cost increasing by Rs 80-90 per quintal, the market price of potatoes has gone up sharply.
Moreover, he added that they have to pay an additional Rs 50 to procure potatoes from cold storage, which is another reason behind the price rise. Farmers have demanded the state government and the district administration intervene and help them become self-sufficient in potato cultivation.