Farmers told to take up Kadaibogam potato sowing

With potato prices expected to hover around rs.650-750 per bag of 45 kg in December and January, farmers have been asked to take Kadaibogam potato sowing (Sept-Oct). The Domestic Export and Market Intelligence Cell in Tamil Nadu Agricultural University carried out a survey and analysis of prices prevailing for the last 21 years in Mettupalayam, a major potato market in the country, and arrived at this conclusion. High cost of cultivation, labour shortage and huge arrivals from other States at cheap prices made the Nilgiris farmers of Tamil Nadu to shift to other hilly vegetables. Reduction in planting area, coupled with crop damage due to flood, resulted in high prices of potato in Mettupalayam during May and June last. Considering this, farmers were eager to know the price trend during the Kadaibogam, DEMIC said. Potato is a major vegetable widely consumed throughout Tamil Nadu, whereas it is grown only in the hilly regions of Dindigul, Nilgiris, Krishnagiri and Erode. Thes tate produced 97,200 tonnes of potato in 4,600 hectares during 2010-11, the cell said.

Source – IBNLive