Bengal’s Uttar Pradesh potato crop estimates for the current year face imminent downward revisions due to the countrywide heatwave that has been in effect since March, and the heavy rains of November and December 2021.
UP Ministry of Agriculture’s experts cited by Krishi Jagran say that the cultivar production forecasts for the current crop year are estimated to reach 53.60mt, down from 56.17mt last year. Crop estimates have been hampered in West Bengal, Punjab, and Haryana due to heavy rains just before sowing.
The crop has also been harmed by the countrywide heatwave that has been in effect since March. Nevertheless, a section of the trade believes that states with a large number of potatoes stored in cold storage, such as Bihar, Gujarat, and Rajasthan, could ensure that prices do not skyrocket.
West Bengal, the second-largest producer, has seen a 23% decrease in output this year. The state’s tuber production is down to around 8.5m tons, compared to 11m tons in 2021.
The wholesale price of the common variety potato (Jyoti variety) has increased by nearly 57%. Based on the same data available, the Bengal saw a bumper crop last year, with a 16% increase in production compared to 9.5 mt in 2020, keeping prices relatively stable.
