Lok Sabha Question No. 598 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-06
Subject: Minimum Remunerative  Prices for Potato
Ministry: AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE
Asked by: KALYAN BANERJEE, BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA, PARAYAMPARANBIL KUTTAPPAN BIJU

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE, COOPERATION AND FARMERS WELFARE

## LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.598

TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 6 TH  FEBRUARY, 2018

## MINIMUM REMUNERATIVE PRICES FOR POTATO

598. SHRI KALYAN BANERJEE: SHRI BHAIRON PRASAD MISHRA: DR. P.K. BIJU:

Will the Minister of AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंी be pleased to state:

- (a) whether it is a fact that the economic condition of the potato growers in various States of the country is not improving due to non-payment of fair price for their produces apart from lack of rain and good quality seeds etc., if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether it is a fact that the farmers are dumping potatoes on roads as they could not get even the cost price of their potato crops, if so, the details thereof ;
- (c) whether owing to this the sowing of potatoes during the current season has been quite less;
- (d) if so, the steps taken by the Government to check exploitation of farmers by the traders and provide them remunerative price for their produce; and
- (e) whether  the  Government  proposes  to  procure  potatoes  directly  from  the  farmers  at higher MSP rate threof, if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF AGRICULTURE AND FARMERS WELFARE

कृ ष एवं कसान कयाण मंालय म राय मंी (SHRI  GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a): No, Madam.
- (b): No such report from States except Punjab.
- (c): No,  Madam.   Area under potato during 2016-17 was 2179 thousand ha. As per first advance  estimate  of  2017-18,  area  under  potato  is  expected  to  be  2176  thousand  ha. Therefore, there is no decline in area .
- (d): Several initiatives taken by Central and State Govt. to check the exploitation by traders. These measures are:
-  To enable the farmers to get better remunerative prices, AGMARKNET portal is providing information  to  farmers  on  prices  and        arrivals        of  agricultural        commodities  in regulated markets.

-  Circulation of the daily alerts on prevailing mandi prices which are 25% above the weighted average price and 25% below weighted average price of last one year to sensitize various Departments and State Governments for favour of information .
-  Government of Gujarat has announced assistance programme for the farmers as below :
- i) Rs.750 per MT for road transportation, Rs. 1150 per MT for Rail transportation and Rs.10 lakh for export to other country for transportation.
- ii) Assistance to provide Rs.1000/MT for the storage of potato and Rs.1000/MT for transportation of storage potato.

(e): No MSP is fix  on  Potato.  However,  Central  Govt.  is  implementing  Market  Intervention Scheme (MIS) for procurement of agricultural and horticultural commodities, which are generally perishable in nature. The basic objective of MIS is to protect the growers of these commodities from making distress sale in the event of a bumper crop during the peak arrival period when the prices tend to fall below economic levels and cost of production. The MIS is implemented on the specific  request  of  the  State  Government/UTs  Government  willing  to  share  losses  with  the Central and State Government on 50:50 basis (75:25 in case of North-Eastern States) restricted to 25 percent of the total procurement value which includes cost of the commodity procured plus permitted overhead expenses.

Under MIS, sanction   has been   accorded   for procurement of potato in Uttar Pradesh (1 lakh MT) and Nagaland (6 Thousand MT) during 2017-18.

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