Potato growers all over the country have warned the government they would dump their whole crop in the canals as was done in 1989 by the farmers of Okara if potatoes import from India is not stopped. They were of the view that a bag of 120kg potatoes cost them up to Rs 1,500-1,800 but they were forced to sell this at wholesale market at the rate of Rs 1,000, suffering a loss of Rs 500 per bag instead of making some earnings.

Talking to The Nation, farmers said that they were already suffering the loss but government has driven the final nail in their coffin by starting import of potatoes from India. They said the dealers get potato bag of 120kg from India at Rs 600 and sell it at Rs 1,000 and earn a hefty amount of Rs 400 per bag just in minutes.

They said this import will destroy the potato crop in the country, putting the lives of growers in more trouble, which are already in the clutches of dealers and middlemen.
Rao Yasir Iqbal, Managing Director of Mazharabad Farm in Depalpur, said farmers have to bear the cost of DAP, seed, levelling of field, ploughing, sowing, irrigation, labour and transportation. After a long hard work they earn nothing except loss, he added.
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