Farmers advised to go for sowing potato

Farmers are recommended to go for sowing potato in neerbogum (in February under irrigation conditions), since the crop would get better prices and particularly that of Nilgiris district, would fetch a premium price for its better quality, according to Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU).

The Domestic Export and Marketing Intelligence Cell (DEMIC) in TNAU has analysed the price behaviour of potato that prevailed in Nilgiris Cooperative Marketing Society in nearby Mettupalayam for the last 20 years and found that farmers would get a price of Rs 14 to Rs 16 per kg of in May and June, when the neegbogum potato for harvesting, it said in a release here.

 

The society is one of the major trading centres in India, with 100 private commission mandies functioning in and around. The peak arrival of potato is during June to December and in Nilgiris neerbogum potato is sown uring February, it said.

In Tamil Nadu, potato is grown in the hilly regions of Dindigul, Nilgiris and Krishnagiri and Erode districts, with Dindigul and Nilgiris contributing 95 per cent.

In 2010-11, potato productioin in the state was expected to be 97,20 tonnes fror an area of 4,600 hectares, with an average production of 21.13 tonnes per hectare, it said.

The major problem faced by the Nilgiri farmers were the highest cultivation cost, labour shortage and higher arrivals from other states at competitive prices.

Traders are sourcing potato from Agra and Hasanpur in Uttar Pradesh, Indore in Madhya pradesh and Kolar in Karnataka for consumers of Tamil Nadu. They also export fresh potato to Sri Lanka, UAE, Singapore, Nepal and Kuwait, Demic said.