West Bengal government takes steps to clear farmers' potato stock

KOLKATA: West Bengal government is keeping a close eye on the situation arising out of surplus potatao output in the state which has left farmers worried.

"We are keeping a close vigil on the situation. The government has already taken a few measures to clear farmers' stock and monitor the same. We will take further steps if necessary," state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose told PTI.

According to him, government has created a Rs 10 crore corpus for transport subsidy.

"We will offer subsidy for exporting potato from the state by both ships and railway rakes. Export to Assam through railways has just begun," Bose said.

Along with these, the state government is procuring potato at Rs 5 a kg from farmers for direct direct retailing in 20-odd state-owned Sufal stores in and around the city at Rs 7/kg. Besides, it will supply the tuber free for mid-day meals in schools.

"These will increase local consumption," Bose said. Potato production in the state is in excess of 110 lakh tonnes, up by around 15 per cent over last year due to higher acreage and conducive climate, the former president of West Bengal Cold Storage Association Ramapda Paul said.

He said prices would not have crashed to Rs 150 a bag against the production cost of Rs 450 had demand from other states remained bouyant.

Bose said total 62-63 lakh tonnes of potato can be stored in cold storages in the state and loading them would be completed within March.

"What needs to be seen is what quantity of surplus potato stay with farmers after local consumption and export of the crop to other states begin post April," Paul said.

Paul hoped that with the prices of potato low and jump in prices of leafy vegetables price would lead to higher tuber consumption and the crisis is unlikely to deepen further.