News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from Pakistan

Vegetable exporters in Pakistan have demanded of the government a subsidy on exports of potato to remain competitive at world markets at a time when Pakistan is poised to produce the commodity in surplus this year.

Pakistan first state of the art potato washing and grading machine was installed in Karachi, which could help boost potato’s dwindling export during the current year.

Pakistani exporters of potato are facing a loss of millions of dollars as Russia has stopped clearance of consignments after complaining that the potatoes from Pakistan are infected with a disease.

Pakistani potato growers and farmers have been suffering colossal financial losses in the face of halt to export and lack of subsidies by the government to help them overcome their miseries.

With potato prices ruling at Rs 20 a kg in retail in the domestic market, traders from Jammu and Kashmir have started importing potato from the two Line of Control (LOC) trade posts of Srinagar and Poonch.