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Potato pot simmers, Punjab growers ask Centre to lift export price cap
Sarbjit Dhaliwal
Tribune News Service

How it works for Pak Punjab exports 6,000 tonnes of potato to Pakistan via the Wagah land route Farmers get $350 to $375 per tonne for their produce (Rs 21 to 22.50 per kg) Pakistan may not import the commodity from India at $450 per tonne

Chandigarh, June 28
Potato growers in Punjab are likely to be hit with the Union Government fixing its Minimum Export Price (MEP) at $450 per tonne to restrict export.

Growers in the state have urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to press the Centre to withdraw the “anti-farmer” decision.

Facing flak due to increasing prices of commodities, the Modi government has fixed the MEP of potato to ensure there is no shortage of the commodity in the domestic market.

Potato growers from Punjab were exporting around 6,000 tonnes of potato to Pakistan through the Wagah land route and were getting $ 350 and $375 per tonne. In other words, they were selling their produce at Rs 21 to 22.50 per kg to the neighbouring country, which had lowered the import duty on potato recently. With the government fixing the MEP at $450 a tonne (Rs 27 per kg), it will not be possible for Punjab farmers to export potato to Pakistan at such a high price, said an exporter.

An Amritsar exporter said Pakistan might start accepting potato even at a higher price than the MEP. Pakistan started importing potato from India due to poor yield there.

President of the Confederation of Potato Seed Farmers Sukhjit Singh Bhatti said: “Potato yield in Punjab dropped by 30 per cent due to frost this year. However, farmers were getting reasonable prices for their produce in Pakistan.”

“Punjab farmers cannot compete with potato growers in Uttar Pradesh who supply the commodity in the south. Transportation cost is higher from Punjab to South India,” he added.