The latest release from the Domestic Export Market Intelligence Centre functioning at Tamil Nadu Agricultural University advised the farmers in the state to sell the potato as soon as the harvesting gets over.
India: Second Largest Producer
Potato is the world's number one non-grain food commodity, which occupied 18.19 million hectares with a production of 314.14 million tonnes.
China is the world's largest producer, contributing 18 per cent of global production (57.06 million tonnes) followed by India (11 per cent), Russia (9 per cent), Ukraine (6 per cent), United States (6 per cent), Poland (3 per cent) and Belarus (3 per cent).
During 2008 India defeated Russia's position in potato production and became the world's second largest producer after China.
According to National Horticulture Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF), during 2009 India produced 32.73 million tonnes of potato from an area of 18.84 lakh hectares, which is 4 per cent higher than that of previous year in India.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer, contributing 42 per cent of production (13.6 million tonnes) followed by West Bengal (25 per cent), Punjab (5 per cent), Gujarat (5 per cent), Bihar (5 per cent), Madhya Pradesh (4 per cent) and Assam (3 per cent).
Harvesting Period Approaches In TN, Nilgiri Potato Superior Quality:
Potato is one of the major vegetables widely consumed throughout Tamil Nadu and it is grown only in the hilly regions of Dindigul, Nilgiris, Krishnagiri and Erode districts. Dindigul and Nilgiri districts together constituted about 95 percent of potato area in the state.
In Nilgiri district potato is cultivated in three seasons namely Irrigated seasons/ Neer bogam (Feb-April), Kar bogam (June-August) and Kadai bogam (August, September - November, December) which are Rain fed seasons and Neer bogam is one of the important seasons.
Potatoes can be stored in cold storage for about five to six months. In Mettupalayam, cold storage godowns are available. Potatoes come from other states like Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh and stored in cold storage only for seed purpose.
Peak period of storage is January to May and the stock is released during June-July. Potatoes grown in Nilgiri district are stored to a lesser extent only. Farmers are mainly following storage practices for seed purpose. Most of the farmers are not storing due to lack of awareness. The Potatoes from Nilgiri district fetch higher price than potatoes from other states because of superior quality and taste and preference.
Mettupalayam is one of the major trading centers in India. The Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society (NCMS) and about 100 private commission mandies are functioning in Mettupalayam. Nearly one third of potato is traded through Nilgiris Co-operative Marketing Society. Potatoes from Nilgiri and other districts are traded through both NCMS private mandies. The arrival of potato is high during the months of June to December. Peak arrival is during August and September.
Potato Likely To Ease After July:
Farmers are now harvesting the neer bogam sown potato. They have to take a decision whether to sell potato immediately on harvest or keep it stored for some time to get better prices.
To help them to take a right decision the NAIP - Domestic Export Market Intelligence Centre (DEMIC) functioning in Centre for Agricultural and Rural Development Studies (CARDS), Tamil Nadu Agricultural University had analyzed the 20 years prices of potato that prevailed during 1990-2010 in Nilgiris Co-Operative Marketing Society in Mettupalayam and made a study on the market scenario and price behavior.
Keeping in view the price analysis and opinion survey of the traders, it is expected that during the months of June-July, 2010 which is the main harvest period of irrigated potato, the prices are likely to be Rs.620-700 per bag (45kg). After July 2010, the prices are likely to decrease. Hence, farmers are advised to sell the nee bogam harvested potato in June, July itself for higher prices without going for storage.
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