Potato and rice to remain costly till December

Prices of potato and rice are set to remain high till December, traders and farmers said. Potato sowing in UP, the largest producer, has been delayed by a fortnight due to untimely rains and the new crop will come to the market by December.

On the other hand, Cyclone Dana has damaged the standing paddy crop in West Bengal and Odisha. Rice prices have already jumped by up to 15% in the last fortnight after the government removed export curbs and may move up further for varieties like Gobindobhog and Swarna.

UP produces around 16 mt of potatoes annually while West Bengal cultivates around 9-10 mt. "This year, untimely rains have delayed potato sowing in most of UP. Generally, sowing starts from September 15. This year, however, it started by the end of September and early October. So, the crop will be delayed and arrive in the market slowly from the end November-early December. Prices, therefore, will remain firm till December," said Ajay Sharma, a leading potato trader from Agra.


Potatoes prices have shown a rising trend during the recent weeks and the commodity is being retailed at Rs 35-40 per kg in most parts of the country including the national capital region.

Patit Paban De, a member of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, added that in West Bengal sowing will begin in December and the new crop will start arriving in January. “The demand is high now because of the festive season followed by the wedding season. Prices will remain firm till December,” he said.

Cyclone Dana, which hit Odisha and West Bengal last week, has impacted the standing paddy crop. “The paddy crop has fallen on the ground and is submerged in water. According to our estimate, at least 20% of crops in the major rice-growing districts of West Bengal have been affected,” said Subroto Mondol, a rice miller from Burdwan.

Suraj Agarwal, CEO of rice exporter RiceVilla, said Gobindobhog rice has been impacted the most. "Prices of all sorts of rice are high as the government has removed the export ban. In the last fortnight, prices have gone up by 15%. Till the new crop comes, prices will rule high.”

Due to Cyclone Dana over 80,000 hectares of agricultural land were affected in Odisha. The state is in the process of identifying the volume of paddy crops that have been damaged.

Meanwhile, according to the latest figures from the agriculture ministry, paddy has been sown in 414.50 lakh hectares in this year’s Kharif, up by 10 lakh hectares from last year.