Government to Import Potato to check price rise

The Government has decided to import potatoes from countries like Europe and Pakistan by next month. This is the first time that the government has decided to import potatoes.

Reasons for import

The decision to import potatoes is being taken to increase supply of potatoes at the domestic level, and thereby ease the rising price of potatoes. The current stocks of potatoes of the government is on the verge of being exhausted. Potatoes will be imported till fresh supplies of potatoes manufactured domestically are available by January 2015.
Currently, the government levies a 30% import duty on potatoes. India produced 44.3 mn  tonnes of potatoes in 2013-14, which was a decrease of 2.3% when compared to the previous year.

Month: Current Affairs - October, 2014