AGRA: All cold storages in Agra, one of the biggest potato producing regions of UP , are currently filled with potatoes . Farmers say there is no point selling the produce as they are not even able to get back their investment due to the low price. It is estimated that around 6 crore sacks of 50 kg each, totaling 30 lakh ton, are stored in Agra region alone. State horticulture department has now appealed to farmers not to hoard the tuber. Recently government determined minimum support price for procurement of potato at the rate of Rs 487 per quintal, but farmers said it is too low to benefit them.There are around 240 cold storage units in Agra. All of them are completely filled with potatoes, with farmers refusing to take them out till the prices become better.According to horticulture department officials, In August the potato crop of Karnataka will hit the market. This may result in a sudden fall in the price of the stored potatoes. Therefore farmers in the state have been advised to continue selling the stored produce to avoid even worse losses.Potato is a major crop in the district, cultivated in around 72,000 hectares of land. Agra division, which includes Agra, Firozabad, Mathura and Mainpuri, is one of the major producers of the tuber, which is supplied to states including Maharashtra, West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Delhi, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh.District horticulture officer Anita Singh said, "The current potato prices are much lower than in previous years. In the near future, there is no significant scope for increase in potato prices. To avoid major losses, farmers should slowly continue to sell their produce. Depending on quality, the present market rate of potato is Rs 300 to 600 per quintal whereas it should be between Rs 800 and Rs 1,000 per quintal."According to department officials, increased in production of potato and a stop on supply to Pakistan and some other neigbouring countries is one of the reasons behind the drop in prices.Rakesh Goyal, secretary of Agra Cold Storage Association said, "Compared to previous years, this time around 12% more potato came for storage. But due to low prices, few farmers are taking away their produce."According to market experts, till June 20 around 25% of the produce should have been sold. But business has witnessed fall of 12%.Khandoli farmer Sharvan Singh said, "Government has turned farmers into a joke. The minimum support price is not reasonable at all. It doesn't even pay for the investment we made in the crop."Agra Potato Business Association general secretary Aamir Bhai said, "Ever since demonetization, business has continued to be derailed. Farmers will be forced to throw their produce on the roads, but the government does not seem to be concerned."Farmer Gyan Singh Sikarwar said, "Next year I will not produce potato at any cost. I am thinking of sowing some other crop but that needs money too. I already have a pending loan of Rs 5,000 and banks have told us we will not get further loan till the previous ones are waived by the government."

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