02 March 2004	Tuesday	10 Muharram 1425

LAHORE, March 1: Pakistan has over 300,000 tons of exportable potatoes which must be exported to save local farmers from financial crunch, demanded various farmer bodies here on Monday.

During the last five years, they said, potato production had gone up from 1.810 million to 1.828 million tons. Out of it, 1.750 million tons are available in the market whereas the total domestic consumption is around 1.415 million tons, which leaves 335,000 tons as exportable surplus in the domestic market.

The farmer bodies said the government must help export at least 200,000 tons for stabilizing domestic market, otherwise the farmers would continue suffering as they had been for the last many years.

Former research director Afzal Khan said the potato market was always depressed between January and April when crop from the Punjab arrived in the market. "The Punjab produces 89 per cent (1,550 tons) of the potato crop. The NWFP's share is only eight per cent and Balochistan contributes three per cent.

Around 40 per cent crop is consumed and the rest, being semi-perishable, goes to cold storage in the province." He said it was a fact that 60 per cent of the price went to intermediaries - commission agents, pharia and retailer - and only 40 per cent to the farmers.

The potato price had ranged between Rs300 and Rs500 per 100kg during the last five years, which meant that the farmers got only Rs140 to Rs230 out of it.

An official of the Farmers Associates Pakistan said the down-stream industries like frozen French fries, starch and chips must be established to save farmers from cruelty of market. The government must explore potential export markets and try to sustain the trend.

He said traditionally only three buyers - Sri Lanka, Afghanistan and Malaysia - had bought potatoes from Pakistan, but inconsistent policies had led to loss of even these markets. Dubai, Singapore and Turkmenistan had also been buying potato and could become big importers.

Ibrahim Mughal of the Kissan Board was of the view that the government was to be blamed for most of the crisis in the potato market. "Look at the committee recently formed by the Punjab government for the procurement of surplus crops and finding ways to export them," he said.

Almost all the members of the committee were big farmers, who had seldom faced problems like those of small farmers. "Had the government been serious enough to find a real solution to the problem, it should have included real sufferers on the committee, and not feudals."