Potato traders in West Bengal fear they would lose their markets to Uttar Pradesh as the Mamata Banerjee-led government is sticking to its decision to not allow inter-State trade of the spud.
According to the traders, they are staring at huge financial losses as the State government is extending the ban on the export of potatoes to other States. A further extension of the ban is likely to result in Bengal losing out in its major potato markets such as Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar and Assam to Uttar Pradesh. Usually, these four States depend largely on Benal’s potatoes.
Last month, the West Bengal government enforced a ban on the inter-state trade of the spud after prices shot up in the State significantly. Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal are the country’s largest and second largest potato-growing States, respectively.
Ample stocks available
Potato growers and traders in Bengal are likely to commence a State-wide agitation soon against the government’s decision to continue the restriction imposed on inter-State trade.
“We held meetings with the government twice, requesting it to lift the ban immediately as traders are incurring huge losses. Potato prices in Bengal have stabilised at present. Cold storages across the State have enough stocks for its own consumption for the rest of the year. Like every year we have excess potatoes for interstate trade. But, despite our repeated appeals, the government is sticking to its decision not to allow supplying potatoes to other States,” Paschim Banga Pragatishil Alu Byabsayee Samiti leader Lalu Mukherjee told businessline.
Bengal sells around 20-25 lakh tonnes of excess potatoes to the other States every year.
According to Mukherjee, cold storage across Bengal had around 40 lakh tonnes of potatoes at the beginning of August. “Our State requires around 21 lakh tonnes for consumption during August-December. Around 4 lakh tonnes of the spud we need to set aside for cultivation next year. So, meeting these requirements, currently, we still have 15 lakh tonnes which we can use for interstate trade. If the government does not allow us to sell it to the other States, we would have a huge unsold amount at the end of the year,” he said.
Shortage in Odisha
Mukherjee said Odisha, Bihar and Assam have already started to procure potatoes from Uttar Pradesh amid unavailability of the tuber from Bengal.
With the West Bengal government sticking to its decision not to allow interstate trade, Odisha has reportedly been facing an acute shortage of potatoes over the last few weeks, leading to a steep increase in the price of the staple.
“Potato prices are currently hovering around ₹25-26 per kg at the cold storage level in Bengal. It has come down from around ₹27-28 last month after the State government decided to restrict potato supply to other States,” said Patit Paban De, a senior member of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association.
After the government imposed the ban, potato growers and traders in North Bengal launched agitation, stating that they would be facing a huge loss. Potatoes grown in North Bengal are mostly sold to neighbouring Assam.