Punjab to export 3,000 tonne potato to Middle East

Faced with crash in potato prices due to bumper crop in Punjab, the state government has decided to export 3,000 tonne of potato to the Middle East besides selling another 2 lakh tonne to Maharashtra, Karnataka, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal and Tamil Nadu to help the distressed farmers.

The export and domestic supplies would be routed through the state agency MARKFED, said Punjab Cooperation Minister Capt Kanwaljit Singh in Chandigarh on Monday.

A team of MARKFED officials has already been in Dubai to finalize the export of potato and the traders based there have also shown keen interest in importing potatoes.

He further said that the Punjab's Marketing Federation - MARKFED - has achieved 'Eurogap' certificate for exports to European Union. He urged that private exporters keen to export potato to coordinate with the MARKFED.