Smooth passage sought for potatoes

Punjab potato growers want waiver of duty on exports to Pakistan

Surprised at potatoes not being there in the list of duty-free export items, the Potato Growers' Association wants Punjab government officials to talk to the departments concerned to include potato in the list so that the crop can be exported to Pakistan through the Wagha border.

"We are surprised that although Pakistan waived the import duty on potatoes, in the recent list of other items including onions, garlics, chilies, tomatoes and meat, potato was missing. We are going to meet Punjab government officials to demand potato's inclusion in the list of goods," Jaswinder Sangha, secretary of the association, said.

The potato growers, who welcomed that decision of the Pakistani government, say Punjab would not benefit from such a proposal till potato is included under the duty waiver scheme.

As no other item in the list is produced as much as potato in the state as more than 75,000 hectares is under potato crop cultivation in the sate and nearly 70 per cent of the potato seed of the entire country is produced in Doaba region along .

Sangha said that if the Punjab government takes up the matter with the Pakistan government, over Rs 500 crore of potato seed and potato export business could be done from Doaba only.

"The Jalandhar Potato Growers Association was excited over the earlier statement of Pakistan for allowing duty free import of Potato and Potato seeds from India and even had already signed an agreement with Markfed for exporting the crop to the neighbouring country," Sangha said adding that but the associated was disappointed for the missing of potato crop in the fresh list.

Sangha revealed that Doaba region of Punjab has special soil called "effort fee land" for yielding Potato seeds, which is famous in the country and seeds sent to West Bengal has already improved quality of potato in the state.

Currently we are sending Potato seeds to West Bengal and southern states but transport expanses for sending our crop to Pakistan would be much cheaper, if Wagha border is opened for export, Sangha said while urging the Pakistan authorities to open the Wagha border for export of potato, as it would be beneficial for them also.

"You see, sending Potato to Pakistan will be viable for both India and Pakistan as the rate of Potato in Pakistan is about Rs 23 per k g and here in India it is only Rs five per k.g, even after including all expenses in export transaction, Pakistan will get the potato at the maximum rate of Rs 10 per k g" he said.

As far as Potato seed is concerned, currently Pakistan was importing it from Holland at the rate of Rs 5000 per quintal and if Wagha border is opened for exporting Potato seeds, we would be able to export it at the rate of Rs 1500 per quintal only, Sangha added.

He revealed that the association was trying to establish trade links with Pakistani potato growers for the past quite some time. But without government support it is difficult to set up such trade links.

In fact, some potato growers have started thinking of growing tomato instead of potato if the government does not heed to our demand, he added.