KATHMANDU: Nepal’s Surkhet district imports potatoes worth Rs 300,000 from India every day as local production is unable to meet demand there. The district is self-sufficient in all other vegetable products apart from potato and onion, according to Surkhet Vegetable and Fruit Traders Association. “The production of potato is very low and does not meet the demand even in the potato harvesting season,” said Prabal Shahi, chairperson of the association.
Potatoes imported from India cost Rs 35 per kg in the district. Apart from India, the district also imports potatoes from Dailekh and Jumla. “The cost of potatoes per kg imported from Dailekh is around Rs 50 compared to Rs 35 per kg imported from India,” said Shahi, adding that the demand for Indian potatoes is higher as consumers prefer low cost potatoes.
Potatoes imported from Jumla could have been an alternative to the Indian potatoes but smooth supply is not possible due to transportation issues caused by the rough terrain, traders said. The cost of potatoes imported from Jumla stands at Rs 40 per kg in Surkhet, said Laxman Devkota, a local vegetable trader. “If there wasn’t any hurdle in transportation, potatoes from Jumla could have taken the market here,” he told Republica. Surkhet produces only 60 percent of potatoes compared to the demand in the district, according to the District Agriculture Development Office. The office said it is considering launching a program to motivate farmers to get involved in potato farming in the days to come.
