Agriculturists and companies had better assistance in accessing quality seeds of potato and growing methods.
Demand for potatoes has drastically fallen due to inferior quality from 18 September, causing the steep drop in prices.
Yangon’s wholesale commodity centre unveiled the opening prices of China’s potatoes only. The price of China’s potato was K1,850 per viss on 21 September.
The price hit a high of K2,450 per viss on 15 August. Thereafter, potato prices moved in a downward trend.
The market prices of potatoes from Shan State moved in the range between K500 and K1,200 per viss on 21 September, as per the potato depot from Yetama Street in the Bayintnaung area.
The skin of Shan potatoes is not firm and free from any spot. Additionally, some imported potatoes from China were also found to have defects in the skin from the second week of September. The buyers do not like them, said a trader. Potato cultivation costs approximately K7 million per acre with high input costs. The yield rate is estimated at 4,000 visses of potato per acre, said a grower from the Aungban area.
As Shan potato is priced around K1,200 per viss, the growers do not reap profits. Shan State accounts for 75 per cent of potato production. It is also commonly found in the Sinphyukyun area in the Magway Region. The potatoes from Sinphyukyun are supplied to the Yangon market in summer.
China’s potatoes enter the domestic market every month. With the influx of China’s potatoes into the domestic market, the agriculturists and companies are requested to provide technical assistance and quality seeds to ramp up production, Ko Lwin Min, a trader, told the Global New Light of Myanmar (GNLM). — TWA/EM
