Cuttack: While the people of Odisha are worried over the sudden rise in the price of potatoes, wholesale traders hope that the price of the essential item will come down in two weeks.
Reports said the retail price of potato which was being sold at Rs 15 per kg in the open market, has soared to Rs 25 per kg while it is being sold at Rs 30 per kg in Balasore, Cuttack, Berhampur, Sambalpur and Balangir markets.
Secretary of the Chhatra Bazar Byabasayee Sangh, Debendra Sahu, said on Tuesday that there is less stock of the old potatoes in West Bengal. As a result, wholesale traders are importing potatoes from Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh and Punjab, where the harvesting of new potatoes is yet to begin. Therefore the price of potato in West Bengal has gone up due to acute shortage. “As a result, the price of potato in Odisha has soared as there is less import from the neighbouring state,” he pointed out.
Sahu also informed that though the harvesting of the new potato has started in West Bengal, its price is higher than old potato. As a result, the price of potato in Odisha has soared as the wholesale traders are procuring it at a higher rate.
“Once there is enough stock of new potatoes in the open market, the price will come down in Odisha. Moreover, the price of potato will come down further in as the harvesting of new potatoes will also begin in the state in two weeks,” he added.
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