Seasonal variations and falling production in various markets offer immense opportunities for export of potatoes from India.
According to a study conducted by the Export Import Bank of India, Indian potatoes have a seasonal advantage over most countries along with a cost advantage. These make Indian potatoes reasonably acceptable in other markets.
In India, the bulk of potatoes is harvested in February, March and April. Generally, there is a shortage of potatoes in Europe from February to September. This presents a huge opportunity for export of the commodity to this region.
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The study also says that the West Asian countries face a constant shortage of potatoes. It adds that India can gain substantially by increasing penetration in countries like Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Iran, Malaysia and the Philippines.
In 2000-01, potato exports were at 33,703 tonnes, of which 22,636 tonnes were fresh potatoes.
The study also talks about how improvements in the processing industry can increase trade of products like canned potato, potato chips, French fries, dehydrated mashed potatoes, potato granules and flakes, diced, sliced and potato flour.
Sri Lanka, Maldives, Nepal, Mauritius, Russia, the UAE, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Singapore and Saudi Arabia are the major export destinations for Indian potatoes.
Establishment of a cold storage system is also important because it will help potato producers preserve their produce for longer. This is specially important because 85 per cent of the potato farmers are located in north India, away from the ports.