Government mulls potato import in case prices spike

NEW DELHI: The government is exploring the possibility of importing potatoes in case there is a severe shortage. Sources said the state-owned cooperative major Nafed has been asked to see whether potatoes available in countries including China, Egypt, Ukraine and Russia are of good quality and fungus-free so that the food stuff can be imported easily.

This is one of the contingency plans that the Centre is preparing to deal with an awkward situation in case the delayed and weak monsoon poses bigger problem.

Meanwhile, refuting speculation that the exiting onion stock may end in the next two months, government officials said that there is "enough stock" to meet the future demand. "As such there is nothing in black and white how mush is in the stock. We have asked state governments to provide us the detailed stocks of onion in stores. We have not yet got the report," a government official said.

Addressing state food and consumer affairs ministers on Friday, agriculture minister Radhamohan Singh said that Agrowatch, an private firm involved in agri-business sector, has been asked to study the available stocks of food items in the cold storages.

Singh added that last month, the ministry directed Andhra Pradesh, Telengana and Karnataka to increase cultivation of onion during the kharif season. The states have also been asked to come out with a weekly status on the availability of onions and potatoes.

Meanwhile, on the issue of onion stocks, sources said that monsoon will decide whether there will be a shortage of onion or not and how acute it would be. "It's a 90 days crop. If we get rains even in the next 15 days, it won't be a problem. If it gets delayed beyond a month or more, any quantity of stock is not enough," one of them said.

The official also added that there is a need to re-assess how much onion is consumed across the country annually so that plans can be put in place for adequate storage.