Relax restrictions on potato trade, West Bengal Cold Storage Association urges State govt.

Bengal govt. issues ban on inter-state movement of potato; the representatives of cold storage association said that large stocks of potatoes are now being held in cold storage units, threatening to go unsold before the new crop arrives at the end of December

Urging the West Bengal government to ease restrictions on potato trade, the West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA) on Tuesday said that the restrictions have caused irreparable damage to potato trade.

The West Bengal government has imposed a ban on potato trade to other States following rise in the prices of the tuber in the domestic market.

“In West Bengal, potato production has traditionally been consumed in a 60:40 ratio, with 60% consumed within the State and the remaining 40% traded with other States. However, due to the state’s recent apprehensions over potential shortages in potato stocks stored in cold storage units, a complete ban was imposed on the inter-state movement of potato, irrespective of the variety of potato being traded,” a press statement by WBCSA said.

The association added that the ban has disrupted this established trade flow, causing a glut of potatoes in cold storage facilities, particularly in southern districts like Bankura, Medinipur and parts of Bardhaman and Hooghly.

“The ban on inter-state potato movement is causing irreparable damage to the cold storage industry in West Bengal, and will prove to be a disaster for the rural economy as it will impact farmers, too,” said Subhajit Saha, vice-president of WBCSA.

The potato varieties primarily consumed within Bengal are Jyoti and Chandramukhi, while other varieties grown in areas such as Bankura, Medinipur, parts of Bardhaman (Guskara block), and Hooghly (Goghat block) are typically traded in neighbouring States.

The representatives of the association said that large stocks of potatoes are now being held in cold storage units, threatening to go unsold before the new crop arrives at the end of December 2024.

“Should these stocks remain in cold storage even after the new harvest, there is risk of spoilage, which would result in significant financial losses for both farmers/hirers and cold storage operators,” the WBSCA said. Despite the ban on inter state movement potato prices in West Bengal have not dropped and the retail price of potato in West Bengal remains at Rs 35 per kg for Jyoti variety and Rs 43 for Chandramukhi variety.

With a ban on potato trade the neighbouring states like Jharkhand and Odisha had expressed their disapproval and said they will reduce their dependence on West Bengal. Despite the ban there are reports of potato being smuggled to the neighbouring states through bordering areas of the State.

Published - December 18, 2024 04:18 am IST