POTATO PRICES DECLINE: NORTHERN FARMERS COMPLAIN

The government’s decision to increase the import tax on potato has not been so effective in providing a fair price for their harvest, potato farmers in the North complained.

A kilo of potato now fetches a low price between Rs.2530 in the market causing intense difficulties for the farmers and they have made the Agriculture Minister aware of their difficulties and seek some sort of relief for them.

The Vice chairman of the Jaffna Potato Cultivators’ Society S. Chandraskeran says the increase of the import tax on potato has not adequately served to solve their problem and also complained that Jaffna farmers immensely suffers during the potato harvesting period annually. And all governments had failed to give a reasonable solution for their problem.

He also said the farmers societies requested the authorities to restrict the import of potato at the discussion they held earlier as the potato production in Jaffna and Nuwara Eliya is sufficient to supply the consumers demand. However there was no favorable response from the government.

Farmers engaged in potato cultivation in Dambulla and several other areas in country has now withdrawn from the cultivation due to lack of facilities available for the sale of their production.

And there is possibility of Jaffna potato farmers too shifting to the red onion cultivation, the chairman of the Cultivators Society said.