Potato rates crash when the new crop floods the market and cold stores fill up. How should I plan my selling?
How to manage potato (aloo) where to sell and avoid the glut in West Bengal?
TTapan Ghosh5mo ago · 232 views
5 Answers
🌾Farmer.in Krishi TeamExpert ✓5mo ago
Potato gluts come from a big crop hitting the market together while cold stores fill up, which is why fresh harvest rates often crash. Your options are to spread the risk. Store a part in cold storage to sell later in the season when fresh supply thins, but factor in the rent and the storage losses and do not assume prices will always rise enough to cover them, since some years the off season price barely beats cost. Grade and pack well because clean, uniform, undamaged tubers sell even in a weak market. Track arrivals and rates across markets on the Agmarknet portal and sell where arrivals are lower. Selling through an FPO, to processors who buy processing grade tubers, or to distant markets can beat the local crash. Choosing varieties that suit table, processing or seed markets gives you more selling options. Confirm cold store rates and schemes with your district office.
BBiswajit Pal4mo ago
I now keep only part of my crop in cold store and sell the rest at harvest to cover my loan. Holding everything one year cost me when the off season price never came.
SSukumar Ghosh4mo ago
Book your cold store space early in our area, it fills up fast in a glut year. The season I went late there was no room left and I was forced to sell at the bottom rate. Booking ahead at least gives you the option to hold part of the crop.
NNirmal Mondal4mo ago
Growing a processing grade variety opened up a buyer beyond the local mandi for me. The processing company took my crop at a contracted rate while the open market was crashing. It is worth lining up such a buyer before you plant, not after.
AAnjali Ghosh4mo ago
Grading and clean packing got my tubers picked even in a weak market. The uniform, undamaged, well packed lots moved while the mixed muddy bags sat unsold. Buyers go for the clean lot first when there is a glut, so the sorting effort paid back.