Potato Price Volatility Across India: A State-Wise Market Analysis.
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The potato market across India exhibits significant price volatility and vast geographical disparity, with rates fluctuating sharply depending on regional arrivals and demand. While the rates in the second week of, 2025, ranged from a low of ₹700 per quintal to a high of ₹4500 per quintal. In general, market dynamics are currently influenced by factors such as heavy arrivals suppressing prices in some areas, while limited supply drives up costs in premium centers.
This post by Indian Potato surveys the current potato prices, moving sequentially from Northern states, through the East, then the West, and finally the Southern markets.
Northern Region: Low Averages but High Peaks
The North Indian states generally record lower average prices compared to the South, though specific markets demonstrate high price swings.
Uttar Pradesh (UP), a key potato-producing region, reports an average market price of approximately ₹1015 per quintal (₹10.1/kg), or slightly higher averages reported around ₹1034 to ₹1051 per quintal. Mandi rates in UP showed a wide range fluctuating from a minimum of ₹700 per quintal in Visoli to a maximum of ₹1900 per quintal in Sehjanwa. Other markets like Bareilly averaged around ₹860 per quintal, while Lucknow was higher at ₹1130 per quintal.
In Haryana, the overall average price stands at approximately ₹1079 per quintal. Despite this moderate average, Haryana featured one of the highest prices recorded nationally for mid-September: the Hansi mandi saw rates soaring up to ₹3,500 per quintal on September 18, 2025. Other mandis on that date saw minimum prices as low as ₹600 per quintal in Ballabhgarh. Ganaur mandi was reporting prices between ₹1400 and ₹1500 per quintal.
Other Northern states show varying rates: Punjab maintained a low average of about ₹1000.0 per quintal (₹10.0/kg), with Khanna recording a minimum of ₹600 per quintal. Conversely, prices were higher in the Himalayan regions, with Himachal Pradesh averaging ₹1550.0 per quintal. Mandi prices in Himachal Pradesh ranged significantly, with Palampur seeing prices up to ₹2400 per quintal. Jammu and Kashmir also reported an average of ₹1600.0 per quintal.
Eastern Region: Moderately High Prices
Potato prices in Eastern India are generally situated in the mid-to-high range, often reflecting higher logistical costs or local demand.
West Bengal shows an average price around ₹1223.0 to ₹1330.0 per quintal (₹12.2/kg to ₹13.3/kg). However, prices climb significantly in the northern districts. Darjeeling recorded the highest state price at ₹2200 per quintal, followed closely by Kalimpong at ₹2100 per quintal. Markets in Murshidabad and Nadia districts, such as Jangipur and Chakdah, saw prices ranging from ₹1440 to ₹1520 per quintal.
Bihar registers an average price of ₹1300.0 per quintal (₹13.0/kg). However, the market in Ara, Bihar, experienced strong price surges around mid-September, with the Jyoti variety selling between ₹2000 and ₹2200 per quintal.
Further East, Odisha reported an average of ₹1833.0 per quintal (₹18.3/kg), with Bargarh mandi rates reaching up to ₹2300 per quintal. Prices escalate steeply in the North Eastern states: Tripura registered a high price of ₹28/kg, and Meghalaya averaged ₹2500.0 per quintal (₹25.0/kg).
Western Region: Price Extremes Driven by Arrivals
The Western and Central Indian markets display extreme variations, heavily influenced by arrival volumes.
Madhya Pradesh (MP) has a low average price of ₹950.0 per quintal (₹9.5/kg). Despite this, MP experienced severe price crashes in specific markets, such as Morena and Sabalgarh, where rates were stuck at only ₹600 per quintal.
Gujarat shows an average rate of ₹1325.0 per quintal (₹13.2/kg). Gujarat was home to the national low price in mid-September, with the Gondal mandi recording rates as low as ₹200 per quintal due to large inflows. Surat, another major market that saw the largest arrivals (1,040 tonnes on Sept 18), had prices ranging from ₹550 to ₹2100 per quintal.
In Maharashtra, the average rate is ₹1505.0 per quintal (₹15.05/kg). High arrival volumes in Vashi (Navi Mumbai) kept prices relatively moderate at ₹1000–₹1600 per quintal, while markets with lower supply, like Wai, saw prices reach up to ₹2200 per quintal on September 18.
Southern Region: Consistently High Wholesale Rates
The Southern states generally face the highest potato prices, reflecting greater dependence on imports from other regions.
Tamil Nadu (TN) registers one of the highest average mandi prices in India at ₹3594.0 per quintal (₹35.9/kg). Retail consumers in Chennai’s Koyambedu wholesale market pay ₹30 per kg for potatoes. Mandi prices for the Red Nanital variety in TN soared up to ₹4000 per quintal in markets like Aruppukottai and Anaiyur on September 22, 2025.
Kerala maintains consistently high rates, averaging ₹3400.0 per quintal (₹34.0/kg). Prices peaked in Vamanapuram mandi on September 22, reaching between ₹4000 and ₹4500 per quintal. Kottayam mandi reported prices between ₹2800 and ₹3200 per quintal.
Telangana reported an average rate of ₹2300.0 per quintal (₹23.0/kg). Meanwhile, Karnataka averaged ₹1850.0 per quintal (₹18.5/kg), with the Shimoga market seeing prices as high as ₹3000 per quintal.
In summary, the national potato market is currently characterized by extremes: while states like UP and Punjab maintain low average prices, localized markets, particularly those experiencing low arrivals in Haryana (Hansi) and high demand in the South (Kerala and Tamil Nadu), see retail and wholesale prices dramatically higher, sometimes exceeding ₹40/kg. Farmers are advised to leverage current high prices in low-arrival markets or consider storage in crash price zones to maximize returns.
