Pakistan Government might withdraw import duties on potato

Pakistan's Federal Minister for Finance Senator Ishaq Dar said on Monday the government will withdraw all levies and duties on potato import, if its prices in the local market are not brought down to less than Rs30 per kilogramme in the next 72 hours.

He was chairing a meeting to review the prices of agriculture products.

Taking cognizance of the price of potatoes at Rs50 per kg in the local market, the minister said that the profiteers would not be allowed to manipulate excess margins by holding supplies.

It was the second meeting over the prices of agriculture produce in the last three days.

The minister was informed that there were nearly 1.1 million tons of surplus potatoes in the country.

Hoarders, speculators and middlemen are manipulating the market prices.

In India, the potato is being sold at much less price.

The minister said that the government was very serious on keeping the prices of the essential commodities at appropriate level.

He added that the government would take all necessary steps to devise expeditious mechanism to bring down the prices.

Our correspondent from Lahore adds: ­Farmers expressed on Monday deep concern over the reported shortage of table (edible) potatoes in the country.

The concern came up in a joint meeting of Farmers Associates Pakistan, Okara Potato Growers Society and Pakistan Kissan Ittehad.

They said 18 to 20 percent of the winter crop is still in the fields, while harvesting of spring crop has also started.

Thousands of tonnes of potato are also stored in cold storages all over Punjab for supply. Arrival of summer crop from northern areas will start in June, they said.

Presently, the maximum retail price of table potato is Rs60 per kilogramme, which is cheaper than all the available vegetables.

Farmers’ representatives said potato is easily available from fields at Rs40 per kg.

Because of unfavourable weather, cost of production of potato went up to Rs35 per kg.

Farmers said there is a propaganda going on to facilitate potato import from India. Indian government is giving huge subsidy to its agriculture productions and export of agricultural commodities, they said.

Import of duty free potato from India will affect Pakistani farmers. The farmers’ organisation demanded that the import duty on potato should be increased up to 50 percent.

This is important to mention that India has banned the import of potato from Pakistan to safeguard its own farmers.