West Bengal is likely to have a bumper production this year too. Almost four lakh tonne potato got wasted last year due to a bumper crop and less demand. The state government is trying to avoid a similar situation this year.
Potato, one of the main cash crops of the state, is grown in large parts of south and north Bengal. The bumper crop, coupled with lower demand for the second consecutive year, will have a huge impact on the panchayat election in the state
in 2013.
Meanwhile, farmers in Kalna town of Burdwan district have alleged that the cold storage owners have sold the potato stored there without prior intimation to realise their rent.
Although the state government extended the storage period for the unsold crop by a month last year to December 31, many of the cold storages in Burdwan, Hooghly, 24 Parganas (North & South) had reported huge leftovers. State agriculture marketing minister Arup Roy said, ?None of the farmers have launched any complaint so far. We can only initiate an investigation when farmers lodge formal complaints.? While Roy admitted that potato farmers could not realise price for their crop last year, he said, ?We are expecting a similar production this year too and we have chalked out detailed plans for the crop. Wastage will be reduced to a significant extent this year. The former government did not have any plan for an excess production.? The state had a bumper crop for the second consecutive year in 2011.
Production of potato in the state was 95 lakh tonne in 2011 against 100 lakh tonne in 2010. But a good crop across the country led to a drop in demand while the farmers were unable to export the crop to other destinations like Sri Lanka, Malaysia and Singapore.