AGRA: With 270 cold storage centres in Agra district set to shut down in four days, 75 lakh sacks of potato, 50 kg each, are still lying in cold storage, waiting to be disposed of.
Agra district is the largest potato producer in north India with over 75,000 hectares of land under cultivation. Farmers said they have been unable to sell the produce as demand is low at the local level and rise in fuel prices have shot up transportation costs to other states.
Rajveer Lawaniya, Bharatiya Kisan Union district president, told TOI transportation costs to other states have increased by 30% following rise in fuel prices.
“Farmers are not able to take their produce to major markets in other states. We have been demanding the state and the Centre to declare Rs 1,600 per quintal minimum support price (MSP) for potato.”
According to the BKU district president, “Last year, the cost of transporting one quintal of potato from Agra to mandis in Pune and Mumbai was Rs 170 per quintal. Following the increase in fuel prices, it has increased to Rs 325 per quintal.”
Deputy director of horticulture, Dr Kaushal Kumar, meanwhile, said the time period for storage will be extended if required. The last date of dispatching potatoes from the cold storage is determined by the government.
Mohammad Aamir, general secretary of Potato Producers’ Association, meanwhile, said, “Higher production of potatoes coupled with a pause on government schemes like midday meal due to the Covid-19 pandemic have resulted in higher supply of potatoes in the market, thus lowering prices. Farmers are struggling to retain their investments. Government should help the potato farmers in distress.”
Farmer leaders have demanded that special ‘kisan rails’ be operated from Agra to other states. In September, north central railways had started the first such train from Yamuna bridge station of Agra to Changsari station in Kamrup district of Assam. Farmers said the train operated weekly in September but its operation has been irregular since then. The kisan rail had reduced the transportation time from six days to 24 hours.
President of Agra Cold Storage Association Sudarshan Agarwal told TOI that in March, 2 crore packets of potatoes were stored in 270 cold storage centres in Agra. “According to government orders, the duration for storage ends on October 31. There are 75 lakh packets of potatoes still in storage. We have asked farmers to take away their produce. At the end of the month, the units will shut down for cleaning and repairing to prepare for storage of agricultural produce in the coming season.”
