Deoria Potato Growers Face Heavy Losses As Storage And Transport Costs Outpace Market Prices

Potato farmers in Deoria are suffering heavy financial losses due to low market rates and rising storage and transport expenses. Growers now face a difficult choice, as selling their produce immediately fails to cover costs, while keeping it in cold storage risks even higher expenses.

Financial Crunch

Farmer Markandey Tiwari from Bhagalpur stored 100 quintals of potatoes at a cold storage facility in Barhalganz. He spent 30,000 rupees on storage, 2,000 rupees on handling, and about 10,000 rupees on transport, pushing total expenses to 42,000 rupees. Another farmer, Vinod Mishra from Jamua, notes that selling 100 quintals in the wholesale market yields only 40,000 to 50,000 rupees, while selling directly from the cold storage brings in a mere 30,000 to 35,000 rupees. With expenses at 42,000 rupees, even the higher market return leaves a meager profit of 8,000 rupees, and that excludes farming costs like seeds, fertilizers, irrigation, and labor.

State Support

Meanwhile, according to ABP News, potato farmers in other parts of Uttar Pradesh can receive a government subsidy of up to 20,000 rupees to help cover cold storage removal costs. In Bijnor, where farmers cultivate potatoes across about 4,000 hectares, significant stocks remain inside local facilities like Aman Cold Storage and Nehtaur Cold Storage. Eligible farmers can apply for this financial assistance through the Uttar Pradesh horticulture department portal at potato.uphorticulture.in.

Context

Perishable crops like potatoes often leave small-scale farmers vulnerable to sudden market price drops after the harvest season ends. When market rates stay low, the fixed costs of cold storage and transport can quickly wipe out a farmer's seasonal earnings.