Potato prices have almost doubled in most parts of India over the past week. The situation has been reviewed and analysed on October 30th, during a meeting called by the West Bengal chief minister, Mamata Baneriee.

Bengal farmers are now getting up to twice as much per kilogram of potatoes than two weeks ago, affecting the buyers who are currently paying almost 33% more per kilogram, reports The Economic Times.

This is partly due to the heavy rains that damaged the crops in the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and Assam, and consequent increase in demand, which is being met from the old stock. “A sudden demand from these states has pushed up prices. Moreover, rains have destroyed crops in South India too. But farmers have suffered huge losses for the entire year as what they earned was much below the cost of production,” explained Patit Paban De, member of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, quoted by The Economic Times.

“A sudden demand has pushed up prices. Moreover, rains have destroyed crops in South India too. But farmers have suffered huge losses for the entire year as what they earned was much below the cost of production.”

Patit Paban De

Free Market Flow

In Uttar Pradesh, the largest producer of the tuber, potato prices have more than doubled at the retail level. “Farmers are getting 16 per kg now from 8-9 per kg a week ago. In Agra market, consumers are buying potato at 25-30 per kg,” said Naveen Shukla, owner of Naveen Agri Farm. Furthermore, sowing was delayed in the state by almost a month due to the rains.

The government is not attempting to control the prices in spite of the steep rise as of yet, and is not likely to do so – with the Lok Sabha elections results due December 8th. “Farmers are benefitting from the price rise and therefore the government will allow the present situation to continue keeping an eye on the rural vote bank,” said Sushil Chaudhary, a potato trader from Saharanpur.