Potato farmers struck by distress sale
While poor yield and debt have cost many a farmers their lives in the country hit by inflation, potato growers in West Bengal are bearing the brunt of a bumper crop.
By PTI |
KOLKATA: While poor yield and debt have cost many a farmers their lives in the country hit by inflation, potato growers in West Bengal are bearing the brunt of a bumper crop during a year declared as the International Year of Potato by United Nations.
At a time when inflation has touched a three year high of 7.41 per cent and prices of all foodgrains have gone up, potato growers here are a distressed lot as prices of potato have remained low. Two farmers suicides, one in Bankura and Burdwan each, have been reported after failing to get the right price for their crop.
"At a time when prices of all the vegetables have skyrocketed the price of potato is still Rs 5-8 per kg in markets in the state," rues Sadhan Das, a potato grower of Birbhum district.
"There is very little demand for potato. We are being offered a price of Rs 210-Rs 220 per quintal of potato when the production cost of potato is Rs 228 per quintal," Das lamented.
West Bengal Agriculture Marketing minister Mortaza Hossain said, "the demand for potato is slack because the state has recorded an additional potato production of 80 lakh tonnes this year and neighbouring states too have had a good harvest."
The farmers are also ruing the lack of cold storage facilities leading to distress sale.
Bimal Majumdar, a potato grower from Hooghly district said "we are not getting any buyer for our yield. And those who come to buy, realizing that we have no option but to sell, offer a price which is below the production cost."
At a time when inflation has touched a three year high of 7.41 per cent and prices of all foodgrains have gone up, potato growers here are a distressed lot as prices of potato have remained low. Two farmers suicides, one in Bankura and Burdwan each, have been reported after failing to get the right price for their crop.
"At a time when prices of all the vegetables have skyrocketed the price of potato is still Rs 5-8 per kg in markets in the state," rues Sadhan Das, a potato grower of Birbhum district.
"There is very little demand for potato. We are being offered a price of Rs 210-Rs 220 per quintal of potato when the production cost of potato is Rs 228 per quintal," Das lamented.
West Bengal Agriculture Marketing minister Mortaza Hossain said, "the demand for potato is slack because the state has recorded an additional potato production of 80 lakh tonnes this year and neighbouring states too have had a good harvest."
The farmers are also ruing the lack of cold storage facilities leading to distress sale.
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Bimal Majumdar, a potato grower from Hooghly district said "we are not getting any buyer for our yield. And those who come to buy, realizing that we have no option but to sell, offer a price which is below the production cost."
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