West Bengal govt buys potato directly from farmers
Times of India | 23 July 2024
Image used for representative purpose only HOOGHLY/KOLKATA: In the backdrop of an ongoing strike by a section of potato traders, the state govt on Monday directly procured 750 tonnes from the farmers in Hooghly and sent the stock to Kolkata markets to tide over any impending stock crisis.
Taking on the striking traders and to curb the influence of middlemen, the state has also decided to financially back self-help groups (SLGs) to do the last-mile trade of potatoes that farmers have kept in cold storages to sell but have to bank on traders to send the produce to the markets.
Junior agriculture marketing and panchayat minister Becharam Manna said: "The govt procured 15,000 bags, each containing 50 kg of potatoes, from cold storages and sent them to Kolkata markets. Similar actions will be taken in the future to ensure the supply line does not dry up."
Manna also indicated that the state will financially help SHGs to buy bonds to directly procure potatoes from cold storages. While Manna did not spell it out, sources indicated the state measure was aimed at loosening the stranglehold of the traders for the last-mile trade.
Meanwhile, the strike by potato traders protesting the govt's ban on inter-state movement of potatoes continued on Monday. Sukumar Samanta, secretary of the Progressive Potato Traders' Association, said: "We have failed to make the administration understand that the potatoes we send to neighboring states are not consumed by the people of Bengal. Without the inter-state movement of potatoes, a large amount will be left to rot." Lalu Mukhopadhyay, the association president, added: "About 80,000 potato traders in the state have joined the strike."
The strike did not affect the cold storages in and around Hooghly's Ratanpur - among the biggest potato trading hubs in Bengal. Prahlad Mandal, joint secretary of the Singur-Ratanpur Potato Traders' Association, said: "We support the strike but we kept the market open for the sake of common people. Otherwise, potato prices would have skyrocketed. The govt should intervene to solve the issue and arrange for the release of the trucks that are being held."
But impacts were felt in other districts that provide the bulk of potatoes. Navkumar Bhuiya, president of the Salboni branch of the Potato Traders' Association in West Midnapore, said: "The strike has started in the stores. Potatoes have not been taken out of the cold storages." East Burdwan DM K Radhika Aiyar said: "We have already opened Sufal Bangla stalls in various places in the district." Regarding the demand for sending potato trucks to other states, the DM said: "We are acting according to the state's regulations."
For the past few days, Jyoti potatoes have been selling for Rs 33 per kg and the Chandramukhi variety for around Rs 40 per kg in the open markets.