Gilgit - Baltistan
Issues in Potato Trade
Potato is the major cash crop produced in Hunza – Gojal, and rest of Gilgit – Baltistan. Unfortunately, however, due to absence of a regulatory authority, or its ineffectiveness, the potato growers always find themselves at the losing end.
At times the price is deliberately kept low, when the buyers organize into informal cartels. The power of these small cartel – like bodies, including local and non – local traders, is immense and unchecked. Many growers do not get the money for years after selling their crop. It is high time for the government to intervene and develop a mechanism that soothes the growers and controls the traders.
Patato is more labour-intensive crops as compare to other farming, it need care, expensive inputs and exhuasting transportations, but at the end almost every year farmers are lossing their profit. In my view all development organization working in Northern Areas ignore the patato crop, especially its branding and marketing. as a result we are lossing millions, our patato is the best in Pakistan and even having quality to export,
Development organization should form Patato Growers Association, of farmers, ceritified the varities, develop storage facilities and encourage the local entreprenours in this business and link them to market. this is burning issues of our community, government and NGO’s should play their role to save and increase local communities income, which in total millions in Northern Areas.
Dilawar Khan Parbat
send me picturs please
Yes, I agree with Dilawar Khan especially with the suggestion about the marketing and storage system.