CHITRAL: The falling potato price in national market has sent shock waves through Garam Chashma valley farmers, who lost a major chunk of their produce to the July-August flash floods.

Member of the district council from the area Mohammad Hussain told Dawn on Thursday that the price of 120kg potato bag had plunged to Rs2,000 though it remained between Rs5,500 and Rs6,000 last year.

“This steep fall in the value of our only one crop has shocked and troubled growers across the valley,” he said.

The district council member said the bumper crop of potato in Kalam area of Swat and parts of Hazara division had flooded the national market and that the lower cost of its transportation from farm to the market had given it an edge over the one produced in Chitral.

He said the people of Garam Chashma and adjoining areas of Gobor and Karimabad valleys had switched from cereal cultivation to that of potato and thus, giving them high profits.

Hussain said farmers, who had lost potato crops to the flash floods, were shocked and dismayed over the declining price of potato, the sole source of their sustenance.

He said potato price did fluctuate in the market every year depending on the root vegetable’s production in other parts of the province but this year, the price was very low.

Sher Wazir Baig, a farmer of Zhitur village of Garam Chashma, said last year, he had sold around 300 bags of potato at the rate of Rs5,850 each but this year, first the flash floods washed away the standing crop on three of his four fields and then the remaining produce was too low to meet expenses.

“The potato price is the lowest in 10 years to the misery of growers, who will have terrible time if the government doesn’t come up with a substantial package for them,” he said.

District council member Mohammad Hussain said the business activity was at the lowest ebb in Garam Chashma, which used to teem with potato dealers coming in from different parts of the country.

He said a good number of local people derived sustenance from the business ranging from loaders, porters, packers and harvesters and that this year, they were also affected.

However, there are many lucky farmers for whom the declining potato price is not a problem as they’ve already sold their produce to traders from different parts of the country.

Zahid Khan, a shopkeeper in Garam Chahsma bazaar, said he knew many traders from Gujranwala, who had purchased the produce of potato from farmers many months ago and made payments to them.

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2015

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