This year, it is cheaper to make potato chips than to cook potato curry. One reason is that a number of farmers have switched varieties, opting to grow potatoes for chip manufacturers, slated to be more remunerative until last year, than grow the regular edible variety of potatoes. However, the edible variety is yielding more returns for the farmers this year.

At the wholesale market at Gultekdi, potatoes for cooking are being sold at over Rs 18 per kg, in retail they are available at around Rs 27 per kg.

The potato market was already under strain because of poor rains. Potato sowing normally begins in June-July and the harvest starts pouring into the wholesale market by September. However, erratic rains this Kharif season pushed the harvest season by a month, stretching last year’s potato supply.

“To add to the delay, farmers are sending us only around 20-30 per cent of the normal potato crop. This is because many farmers have switched varieties,” said Avinash Murde, a potato trader in the city. “Everyday we get only around 50 tonnes of edible potatoes, but we used to get around 250 tonnes everyday last year,”Murde said.

However, increased supply of the potato crop meant for making chips that hardens after boiling, unlike the other ones has caused the market to crash. “That variety is now available at Rs 12-14 per kg; last year it was as high as Rs 25 per kg - which prompted many farmers to switch to the chips variety this year,” Murde said.

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