PRODUCTION
Potato known as “hidden treasure’’ ranks fourth after Rice, Wheat, and
Maize is a staple crop in many countries of the world. It is cheap and
plentiful crop that grow in a wide varieties of climates and locales. Native of
Peru and Bolvia and known by mankind before 8000BC spread all over the world by
European traders and colonisers. At present World is producing nearly 400 million
tonnes of potato every year and 75% of it is consumed by human. Remaining 25%
is being used in food for domestic animals, commercial use in textile
industries, paper making, potato starch, adhesive, Biodegradable packing, food
industries, beverage, polylactic acid and in plant research.
India stand second largest grower of potato after China. At present
nearly 33%of total production of worlds are shared by China and India only. Due
to perishibility only 5% of worlds potato is traded internationally. Export
share of India s potato is only 0.5% annually which comes only one tenth of
global trading. India produce nearly 50 million tones of potatoes annually and
it is per capita higher [19.9 tonnes per hectare] than worlds average [17.4
tonnes per hectare].
Potato production in West Bengal is nearly 110 lakh tones this year
which is 10% higher than previous financial year . In India west Bengal is the
second largest potatoes producer after Uttar Pradesh. Nearly 4.5 lakh hectare
has been used for potato production this year which is 10% more field used for
production than last year.
PROBLEMS
Potato cultivation has yearly boom and bust cycle. One year there is
bumper crop and prices fall to levels which are not remunerable for the farmers
and cultivators. This lead to very severe problem for farmers who have to throw
away a large portion of their produce as the cold storage get full and it
becomes un remunerable to even store them. Next year the farmer’s plant potato
in less area and the volume decrease and the price escalates rapidly. This
cycle goes on regularly. There is no mechanism to stabilise the volume or
price.
 |
| Family members mourn the death of potato farmer Nritya Gopal Burman, in Jalpaigur, March 2015. |
Potato glut and plunging prices have triggered suicides in Bengal’s
Hooghly, Burdwan and Bankura district [the major districts producing potatoes]
prices have crashed one kg of potato selling for Rs2-3 while cost of production
of one kg tuber comes nearly Rs 5. Last year [2013-14] farmers reaped a good
harvest and earned hand some profit. But prices across the country were
volatile because the crop failed in Uttar Pradesh largest producer of potatoes.
Bengal the second largest could have stepped in eased matters out.
Encouraged by that experience and dreaming of making good money Bengal
farmer’s sowed potato over more than 4lakh hectares of land which was 10% more
area than previous year. Production was bountiful an impressive 1crore plus
tones. The state’s 435 cold storages capable of storing maximum 62 lakh tones
over flowed. Nearly half of the total production lay out in the open exposed to
the forces of nature [heat, wind and rain]. Farmers tried to store some portion
at home but damage by rottening became uncontrolable.
The neighbouring states wary after the bitter experience of 2013 with
Bengal who banned the exporting of potatoes to other state, tried to improve
home production, so the demand of Bengal potatoes slumped. The next work of
potato marketing was disturbed in 2013 by the government intervention resulting
adverse effect on exporting to other states. The traders from Jharkhand, Assam,
Andhra Pradesh are not willing to purchase and Punjab and Uttar Pradesh, also
have bumper crop this year. Saddled with large stocks of unsold potatoes farmer
are in big trouble.
Most of the farmers of West Bengal are small and marginal farmers
[below one hectare]. With a myth of getting more production by using heavy dose
of chemical fertilisers and pesticides have escalated the cost of production
very high nearly Rs 21000 per bigha [1/3 acre] and this over doses of chemicals
are the main cause for rottening of potatoes and lowering quality of the
produce and thus non-exportable. Farmers are compelled to sell potato at Rs 140
per 50kg bag while cost of production comes to Rs 250 per 50kg bag, thus Rs 110
loss per 50kg bag, which is the main cause for suicide of the Bengal farmers.
Refusal of export due to poor quality worsened the situation.
Local consumption is nearly 7 lakh tones per month, nearly 5-6 lakh
tones is used for nursery & seed purpose and 63 lakh tone are stored in
cold storage. Rest nearly 30 lakh tones are left for distress sell and making
all sorts of the problems to the farmers .The tragedy of the whole story is
that the consumer in the cities are paying Rs 8-10 per kg of potato while
farmers are selling it at through away prices [Rs 2-3per kg], Only 30% of the
consumer price are being availed by farmers and the maximum share i.e. 70% is
being looted by middle-men.
High-level of wastage and value loss is largely due to the lack of
basic infrastructure, like cold storage and handling facilities at the farm
level. And there are large numbers of intermediaries in the chain who place
large cost in the system. There is further loss as the produce is transported
from the farm to the market. Transportation under poor road conditions and very
high temperature variations increases the loss of the produce form farm to
market place.
SOLUTIONS
An integrated action plan is highly needed from farmers’ field to
consumer plate, addressing all the problems at production, post-harvest
management, value addition, transportation and marketing level of operations.
PRODUCTION LEVEL MEASURES
Inconsistency in potato cultivation is one of the major problems of
the day. Boom & bust have become a yearly phenomenon. So there must be
system for cultivation and control for production according to the need of the
market and consumers on a regular basis. This is why NDA government is planning
to introduce Daily Data for Agricultural Produce, which will record the produce
and the quantity consumed thus will depict the real requirement of the produce.
To improve the quality of the production best seed and planting
materials must be used recommended for specific climate and locales. Use of
heavy doses of chemical fertilisers and pesticides must be stopped, as they are
main cause for poor quality of potatoes and make it non-exportable.
Natural soil amendments and natural pesticides must be encouraged
giving incentives to natural farming and farm inputs. This will improve the
quality of the produce and will insure the poison free food for consumers and
export. Farmer will get better price of their produce growing it naturally.
Bengal farmers are using highest dose of chemicals to produce potatoes which
have become the main cause of quality degradation and making the Bengals
potatoes unfit for export. Natural farming of potato cultivation will improve
the quality and better results can be obtained while storing them at home. NDA
government is advocating for Soil Card - a health card for agricultural soil,
since it took over in May 2014, which will guide the farmers regarding requirement of exact quantity of fertilizer and pesticides for the produce.
POST HARVEST MANAGEMENTS MEASURES
Digging, grading, storing at farm level are very inefficient, storage
capacities in cold storage is also insufficient. Nearly 50% of the produce
remain unsorted because less capability of cold storage. So there is dire need
to build more cold storage and pre-cooling facilities nearby production areas.
And capacities of existing cold storage must be increased. So that further
losses and distress sell could be stopped.
VALUE ADDITION MEASURES
Only 0.5% of the total potatoes is being processed by processing
industries which is very less amount and have nearly no impact on the problem
solving. Processing of potatoes must be increased giving incentives to micro,
small and medium food processing units so that percentage of processing of
potatoes could be improved at a sufficient level. Other commercial usages of
potatoes in textile, paper making, biodegradable packing and adhesive
industries must be encouraged also.
MARKETING MEASURES
Marketing of potatoes in India is very problematic as here are numbers
of intermediaries adding greatly to the final cost of production. Farmers get
only 25-30% of the consumers price becuse nearly seven hands operate in the
system from farmers’ field to retail chain or outlets. If we integrate the
chain from farmers field to consumer plates nearly 70-75% of the consumer price
could be transferred to the farmers.
Consumer forums can be involved and may encourage developing a Forward
and Backward linkage for quick procurement and disposal of the produce. An early
demand can be passed to farmers level which will help to control the production
according the demand of the consumers. They may be encouraged to grow other
cash crops to avoid the glut as there is demand at consumer side.
CONCLUSION
It nutshell we can conclude it that with a philosophy of cluster and
consortium approach for production, post-harvest management, transportation,
processing and marketing of potatoes must be integrated from farmers’ field to
consumer’s plate. And this will be a Silent Revolution to solve all the
problems of potato cultivators. Naturally grown poison free potato availability
to the consumers on a reasonable price could be ensured while farmers could
also be ensured to get a remunerable price of their produce for whole of the
year.
An R&D is highly needed at all the steps of potato cultivation, post-harvest
management, value addition and marketing and a long term policy & strategy
to combat the potato disaster must be prepared at state and national level.
No comments:
Post a Comment