News on Potato Stats, Trade, Prices from Asia

Potato cultivators in West Bengal were afraid they will face severe losses as the price of good quality seeds have skyrocketed even as the minimum support price (MSP) fixed has remained relatively low.

Retail prices of potatoes have risen marginally, given that farmers have been scrambling to stock up on the harvest, which has had a bumper production this year. This very bounty and the stockpiling is expected to keep potato prices stable over the next season.

Predicting a bumper harvest of potato this season, the West Bengal Cabinet on Monday decided to allow cold storage owners to purchase at least 10 lakh (1 Million) metric tons of tuber from farmers at a fixed price, so that they do not have to suffer losses, a senior official said.

How do Agrico seed potatoes find their way to Bangladesh? The journey starts with the sale of the seed potatoes.

The government of Pakistan is committed to expedite the establishment of aPotato Development Council under the forthcoming Strategic Trade Policy Framework (STPF), revealed Adviser to Prime Minister on Commerce and Investment Abdul Razak Dawood.

In the period between January and October of 2020, 982,1 tons of potatoes were produced in Azerbaijan. According to the State Statistics Committee, compared to the same period last year, this indicator increased by 1,6%.

Bangladesh imports over 2,000 tons of seed potato from the Netherlands. Varieties include Diamond, Carolus, Margarita, Barcelona, and Accent.

The Government of Pakistan has set a target to produce about 4.871 million potatoes and 2.220 million tons of onions during Rabi Season 2020-21 in order to fulfill the domestic requirements as well as for export.

Prices of Potatoes and all other vegetables and pulses have steadily increased through the course of the coronavirus-infused lockdown.

Blaming the federal government for the steep hike in prices of essential commodities, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee of West Bengal alleged that the prices were rising as the Centre has snatched away the state's power.

Even as the State Potato Mission failed to take off due to the lack of direction and apathy of the government to the project, it has expressed it desire to revalidate the contract with the International Potato Centre (CIP) for intensification of potato production.

Potato was sold for Tk 42 to Tk 48 a kg in retail markets in the capital yesterday, a day after the government fixed the retail price at Tk 35.

India on Saturday threw open its domestic market for certain agricultural commodities including potatoes from Bhutan.

Farmers dumped their potatoes in front of the Kurdistan Regional Government (KRG)’s agriculture ministry in Erbil on Thursday, protesting banned imports that have pushed their produce out of the market.

The Kolkata state government (India) had given seven days time to potato traders to lower its wholesale price to Rs 22 per kg so that it can be sold at Rs 25 per kg.

On August 18, 2020, a meeting was held in Zhaotong city, China. World Potato Congress (WPC) President Roman Cools, Dr. Peter VanderZaag, WPC Secretary and Brian Douglas, General Manager attended virtually.

Potato prices have surged 28-38% in Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal, the top two producers of the tuber which has become the staple across India during the COVID-19-induced lockdown.

Many potato traders with stock in storage have grown worried about the condition of the Chinese potato market. The market is quite weak and the delivery speed has slowed down.