The near nine per cent drop in potato production in 2018 is not likely to have an impact on prices of the tuber due to carry over stock of close to 9 lakh tonne from last year.

Potato production is likely to be lower at close to 100 lakh tonne this year, down from 110 lakh tonne in 2017.

According to Patit Paban De, President of West Bengal Cold Storage Association, there has been a dip in area under cultivation of potato this year as farmers were disincentivised by unremunerative prices from the tuber last year.

Potato cultivation in Bengal is spread across close to 4.6 lakh hectares of land. Hooghly, Burdwan, Bankura and Medinipur are some of the key potato growing districts. The area under cultivation is likely to be lower by five per cent (or around 4.4 lakh hectare) this season.

“Though the production will be marginally lower this year but it will be offset due to the carry over stock from last year which will be available in the market till mid February,” he told newspersons on the sidelines of the annual general meeting of the cold storage association here on Tuesday.