Potato costlier by 10% as output falls

New Delhi: Potato prices have risen sharply on account of lower yield due to the damage caused to crops by erratic rains in November last year.

The all-India retail price for potato was Rs 26 per kg on Saturday, up 10.18% month-on-month and 32% year-on-year, showed data from the Department of Consumer Affairs.

The wholesale prices of the kitchen staple stood at Rs 1,944 per quintal on Saturday, 11.44% higher month-on-month and 33.18% higher than last year. The output has fallen in two major producing states of Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, said potato traders.


"The loading in cold storage is reported to be 10-12% lower at present," said Gopal Sharma, a potato trader from UP, adding that due to lower production farmers are not willing to dispose of their stocks immediately as they are waiting for prices to rise.

Traders said potato prices are expected to stay high as the overall yield is expected to be low this year. The production of potatoes in 2023-24 is expected to have fallen to about 58.99 million tonnes from about 60.14 million tonnes in the previous year, according to the agriculture ministry's first advance estimate for 2023-24 released earlier this year.

Late rains in November damaged the newly planted crops, forcing the farmers to replant in December. However, recent rains in April have caused damage to the crops which were ready for harvest.