A STUDY ON THE VARIABILITY IN MARKET ARRIVALS AND PRICES OF POTATO IN SOME SELECTED MARKETS OF WEST BENGAL

B. BERA¹, JAYANTA DUTTA²*, A. NANDI^3
1Department of Agricultural Economics, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741252, India
²Agricultural Economics, RRS (OAZ), Uttar Banga Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Majhian, Patiram, D. Dinajpur, India
³Department of Agricultural Economics, Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal, 741252, India
* Corresponding Author : jdeco@rediffmail.com

Received : 01-08-2017     Accepted : 23-08-2017     Published : 30-08-2017
Volume : 9     Issue : 40       Pages : 4621 - 4625
Int J Agr Sci 9.40 (2017):4621-4625

Keywords : Market Arrival, Potato, Price Fluctuation, Variability, West Bengal
Academic Editor : Dr Pradeep Mishra, R. R. Christian
Conflict of Interest : None declared
Acknowledgements/Funding : Author are thankful to Bidhan Chandra Krishi Viswavidyalaya, Mohanpur, Nadia, West Bengal-741252
Author Contribution : All authors equally contributed

Extreme volatility in prices of potato is haunting the producers and consumers of the state for the last few years. The instability is greater in market arrival compared to prices across the markets and months within the same markets. In general, peak/ just after harvesting periods have experienced the higher level of fluctuations than lean periods in both cases. Trend in market arrivals is negative in all the markets except Champadanga whereas price trend is positive in all markets with difference in magnitudes. Seasonal indices of markets arrivals reflect an upward movement starting from harvesting season to lean season in Champadanga, whereas a continuous deceleration is recorded in Dhupguri and Memari. Irregular movement is observed in Bishnupur and Jhargram markets may be due to differences in availability of marketing facilities particularly storage, transport, nearby large terminal markets. Excepting Champadanga market, current price is negatively related with market arrivals and positive with lagged prices which are very common in highly perishable vegetable crops like potato.

1. Kainth G.S. and Mehra P.L. (1988) Indian Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 2(1), 113-120.
2. Chatterjee S. and Kapur D. (2016) Understanding Price Variation in Agricultural Commodities in India: MSP, Government Procurement and Agriculture Markets, NCAER India Policy Forum, 2016.
3. Sharma K.C. and Sharma A.K. (1996) Bihar Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 4(2), 132-143.
4. Malik H.S, Chamola S.D. and Kaushik C.R. (1995) Bihar Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 3(2), pp.-185-89.
5. Kalyankar S.P. and Rajmane K.D. (1987) Journal of Maharashtra Agricultural Universities, 12(1), pp. 88- 90.
6. Sharma H.C, Dahiya P.S., Malhotra V.P. and Nayar N.M. (1987) Financial Express, July-23, p.-4.
7. Arya A. (1995) Bihar Journal of Agricultural Marketing, 3(2), pp. 153-161.
8. Acharya S.S. and Agarwal N.L. (1996) Agricultural Marketing in India, Oxford and IBH, Publishing Co. Pvt. Ltd, New Delhi.
9. Singh R., Chauhan J., Singh K. J. and Saharan S.P. (2016) Indian Res. J. Ext. Edu. 16 (3), pp. 49-52.
10. Mishra R. and Kumar D. A. (2012) SAARC Journal of Agriculture, 10(2), pp.107-120.
11. Kumar V., Sharma H.R. and Singh K. (2005) Agril. Econ. Research Review, 18 (July-Dec.), pp. 271-291.
12. Sharma R. (2011) Journal of Farm Sciences, 1(1), pp. 69-74.
13. Alemahehu M. and Atteri B.R. (2000) Agril. Econ. Research Review, 13(2),144-50.