• In Odisha, although there has been a consistent supply of potatoes from West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh, retail prices have stayed unregulated. To tackle this issue, the state government has collaborated with the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Limited (NAFED) to provide potatoes at a subsidized price.
• Initially, 60 tonnes of potatoes have been sourced from Uttar Pradesh and will be distributed to cities like Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, and Sambalpur at a reduced price of approximately ₹30 per kg.
• The initiative started in Bhubaneswar with the aim of addressing the elevated retail prices that have remained high despite a steady supply of potatoes.
• Shakti Shankar Mishra, a secretary of the Kuberpuri Bayabasayee Sangh, emphasized that there is no shortage of potatoes and criticized retailers for selling them at inflated prices. While the wholesale price is approximately ₹28 per kg, retailers have been marking it up considerably.

 

Source: freshplaza