Coimbatore : Potatoes from Ooty have always fetched a good price at the Mettupalayam Nilgiri Vegetable Commission Market.
Coimbatore : Potatoes from Ooty have always fetched a good price at the Mettupalayam Nilgiri Vegetable Commission Market.
However, on Thursday, potato farmers from the Nilgiris were dejected since a sack of 50 kg of grade I potatoes fetched only Rs.800 at the auction.
To the contrary, potatoes from Karnataka and Kerala fetched a far better price. "Everyday we would receive anywhere between 70 to 80 trucks of potato from the Nilgiris district. Surprisingly, on Thursday only four loads arrived at the market.
Due to a prolonged price fluctuation, many farmers in the Nilgiris stopped potato cultivation and instead switched over to other vegetables. Hence, the supply of potatoes gradually decreased from the Nilgiris," opined a wholesale agent from the Mettupalyam market. Seconding his opinion, another agent said, "Though there is a year-long demand for potatoes, sometimes excess supply to the demand fetches only average pricing for the farmers.
Hence, many farmers who have been cultivating potatoes for ages have opted to cultivate other exotic vegetables. The same scenario prevailed this season too and hence the supply from the Nilgiris has drastically declined."
Though the pricing is expected to rise, farmers are abandoning potato cultivation due to the price fluctuation and infestations like 'blight' that affect the crop.