The size of crop this year is estimated at 70-75 lakh tonnes, which is around 10-15 lakh tonnes more than the state's average production, and nearly 20 lakh tonnes more than the normal consumption figure.

While the crop has increased, the cold storage capacity has remained the same at 35 lakh tonnes spread over 268 cold storages.

Maitra said market prices have fallen steeply as farmers resort to distress sales.

In the growing areas, potato is being sold below Rs 100 a quintal, which is at par with the cost of inputs. According to an official of the agriculture evaluation directorate, the cost of inputs is Rs 3,000 per bigha while the yield per bigha has been around 3000kg against the normal rate of 2,340 kg. However, prices at Calcutta's wholesale markets have strengthened slightly since last week, when cold storages began picking up the crop. During the week, potato was selling at Rs 2.40 per kg as against Rs 200 a quintal the preceding week.

Maitra told The Financial Express that the government is looking at markets within the country, apart from tapping Nepal and Sri Lanka.

"In addition to find prospective markets inside the country, we are trying to sell our products to countries such as Sri Lanka and Nepal," Maitra said."We already developed contacts with merchants and traders from Nepal. A Nepalese team visited us on March 13 to enquire into the quality, prices and transport arrangements," he said.

He said the potato will be moved to the Raxaul-Biratnagar border by rail.Maitra said that, in Nepal, potato is being sold at Rs 700 per 100 kg at wholesale markets, compared with Rs 190 per 100 kg in the Calcutta wholesale markets. He said it is viable for Nepalese traders to buy from West Bengal, provided the transport cost is affordable.

Maitra said he had contacted Sri Lankan vegetable importers who also have shown positive interest. He has also invited the Sri Lankan commerce minister to visit the state.

Maitra said India's potato crop has been good, so prices within the country have softened. "Already, we made arrangements to supply 16,000 tonnes to Orissa and more supplies are on the cards," he said.

Eastern Railway has been requested to allot wagons at Tarakeswar station to facilitate loading, since the station covers the potato belt in Hooghly district. The state is also tapping the market in Assam, Maitra said."I met the the chairman of the National Agriculture Federation in New Delhi recently and requested him to purchase potato from Bengal. However, nothing has happened," Maitra said.

The minister pointed out that his department has no market corporation to procure potato directly from growers and sell it. However, the department is setting up a cell to manage the crisis created by over-production.