Farmers throw excess potatoes on roads in Kannauj

Farmers from Kannauj and neighbouring areas have been throwing potatoes on the roads here, after a super bumper crop led to huge excess of supply over demand.

Kannauj, Farrukhabad, and Agra districts are mainly potato producing areas. This year, 10.47 lakh tonnes potatoes were grown in Kannauj alone, out of which 7.67 lakh tonnes were kept in cold storage.

Farmers say, by this time half their potato crops should have reached the wholesale markets, but traders say there is not much demand.


Uttar Pradesh chief minister Akhilesh Yadav had promised to promote potato-based agro industries in Kannauj, but nothing has materialised so far, farmers say.

Normally 25-30 per cent of potatoes grown in Kannauj and neighbouring districts reach wholesale markets by this time and the rest go to cold storage, which are then transported to UP, Bengal and Bihar, but cold storages this year are overflowing with potato stocks.