The cold storages normally have a three month maintenance regime from December to February. However, the programme this year it will have to be compressed within two months as the programme is only about to start.Around three to four per cent of the stocks (more than one lakh tonnes) are still lying with the cold storages which have been shifted to the sheds to start the maintenance work. Retail prices of potato have been at an all time high in West Bengal in 1998 due to a bad crop. The high prices led to the tendency to hoard stocks and the cold storages remained occupied till end-December 1998.

Till a week back around 10-15 per cent of the stock was lying with the cold storages.However, a sudden fall in the prices of potato due to the arrival of the potatoes from Uttar Pradesh has led to speedy clearance in the later part of December.

The newly elected president of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, S M Jain told The Financial Express "Normally by end-November all the stock is cleared and we start our maintenance programme by the first week of January."The cold storages of West Bengal have storing capacity of around 35 lakh tonnes of potato. The state produces around 60-80 lakh tonnes of potato every year contributing around 25 per cent of the country's produce. West Bengal is the second largest producer of potato in India.

"The maintenance schedule involves a total overhauling of the machinery and repair and renovation work of the entire cold storage building as well as the chambers," Jain said. The cold storages have to be ready by the last week of February as the loading of potato starts in March. The unloading of the crop starts in June and continues till November 15."We will have to engage more people this time to ensure that the maintenance programme is carried out suitably this year," Jain added.

The West Bengal Cold Storage Association has asked for a quantum jump in the rent for 1999 as that would help the cold storage owners to invest in the modernisation of the cold storages, said Jain.