LAHORE - Rate of potatoes continues to remain high as huge quantity of it being exported unabated while rest of the quantity is being piled up in cold storages and the Punjab government seems helpless to take any action in this regard.
The prices of potato have almost doubled from Rs30 per kg to Rs60-70 in different localities of the open market mainly due to unchecked export of it to Afghanistan, Russian states and Iran and partially due to hoarding of the commodity.
According to agri experts, there is no shortage of commodity and the real issue is mismanagement and lack of action against profiteers as production has been on the rise
The Sunday Bazaars, which are considered the cheaper market, is not providing any facility in this regard as the prices of potato here too are almost same or with a difference of just one or two rupee. And in most of the Sunday bazaars potatoes are not available for sale due to high prices.
Market sources said that the price of potato, registering surging trend during the last one month, has reached Rs60 to 70 per kg. However, the provincial government which has actual authority to control such shortages and price hike has not come in action so far to control the situation.
They said that the hoarders purchased potatoes from the farmers at lowest rates and sell them at a price more than double of their purchase rates.
However, fruit market dealers were of the view that due to high global price of potato its export has increased manifold as Iran has started importing potatoes from Pakistan and nearly thousands of tons of consignments have thus far been shipped.
 Exporters told that the Iranian importers due to shortage of potatoes in Iran had approached Pakistan for necessary supplies and its chain of shipment has started.
They further said that Iran used to export major part of its potato crops to the Russian region every year and last year due to excessive exports its carry over stocks had also dwindled.
They said that potato was being exported to Iran at $250 per ton and Pakistan has so far exported about 1,15,000 tons of potato.
Statistics show that between 1995 and 2000, average production of potato stood around 1.43 million tons, rose to 1.86 million tons between 2001 and 2005 before shooting up to 2.55 million tons in 2012-13.
Experts said that there is no shortage of commodity and the real issue is mismanagement and lack of action against profiteers as production has been on the rise both due to increase in the area under cultivation and average per hectare yield. They said that wider use of two new seed varieties, one for white potatoes and the other for the red ones, have contributed to higher production in recent years. Experts said that Punjab is estimated to witness an increase of 11.5 percent per annum during last 18 years, total 107 percent, due to increase of 4.88 and 4.74 percent in area and yield, respectively.
Punjab is a traditional area of potato production and big farms in Dipalpur, Sahiwal, Pakpatan and Kasur are not only fulfilling the domestic requirement but also helping export.
This week, the rates of other veggies including price of onion was fixed at Rs36 per kg. Price of tomato was increased and fixed at Rs44 per kg while lower quality tomato was sold at Rs45 per kg in Sunday Bazaars.