February 23, 2003	Sunday	Zul Hijjah 21, 1423

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: The export of potato has declined by 21.61 per cent to 10,822 tons during 2002-03 as compared, and that too at a grossly reduced price, according to analysis of official statistics made available to Dawn here on Saturday.

In 2001-02, the potato export stood at 13,806 tons at the average rate of Rs8,237 per ton. Even with the much reduced quantity exported in 2002-03 up to November 2002, the unit price fetched by potato was Rs6,543 per ton. As a result, the country suffered a 37.7 per cent loss in foreign exchange earnings during the current year.

A glut situation prevailing in the domestic market coupled with sharp decline in exports this year was reflective of utter lack of any foresight and consideration for the interests of growers, according to experts. Small wonder, a yawning gap between supply and demand has resulted in huge losses to the farmers.

The only beneficiaries are the middlemen who have been given the opportunity to reap fortunes from the helplessness of farmers and end-consumers.

This situation has followed the government’s policy of least resistance to the dictates of the World Bank and its sister organizations not to protect the farmers against the fluctuations in supply. This, in utter disregard of the trillions of dollars spent in the home country of these institutions as protection for its own farmers!

In Pakistan, the institution (Agricultural Marketing and Storage Limited) created in 1970s to ensure fair prices for the farmers as well as consumers was wound up because of the pressure of the World Bank. As a result, gluts of potatoes, onions, etc., alternate with their severe shortage quite frequently.

One finds it all the more perplexing because the government keeps the Trading Corporation of Pakistan and PASSCO on their toes to maintain price levels in respect of cotton and rice.

The only possible explanation for this could be the interests of feudal class and big traders. The growers of potatoes and onions, it seems, are voiceless and unrepresented in the corridors of power.

No effort is evidently made to anticipate the market trends in post-harvest period so that the farmers are not induced unthinkingly to increase their output while setting targets for such minor crops.

The highest production of potato so far is about 18,70,000 tons from record 111,000 hectares sown with it in 1999-2000.

In the subsequent two years, the acreage, production and yields have shown downward trend. In 1999-2000, it was 16.9 tons per hectare. This dropped to 16.4 tons per hectare in 2000-01 as the potato was sown over an area of 102,000 hectares from which the quantity obtained was 16,66,000 tons.

The yield declined further to 16.3 tons per hectare in 2001-02 when the farmers raised the acreage by about 2,000 hectares and obtained 16,86,000 tons of potato.