Bumper potato production triggers storage crisis fears
Times of India | 20 February 2025
Kolkata: A record potato production in West Bengal has sparked concerns over distress sales and storage shortage. The state expects a bumper crop exceeding 1.4 crore tonnes in 2024-25, a sharp increase from 1.3 crore tonnes last year, following an expansion of cultivation from 4.6 lakh hectares to 5.1 lakh hectares.
This excess production, coupled with an uncleared stock of 1.3 lakh bags in cold storage, has driven farm-gate prices down to Rs 5-6 per kg, exacerbating farmer distress.
According to Sunil Rana, president of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, the state's annual domestic consumption is only 65 lakh tonnes, leaving a surplus of 85 lakh tonnes that must be exported to neighbouring states to prevent a market glut. However, inadequate storage infrastructure poses a major challenge, with the state's 475 cold storages collectively capable of holding only 70 lakh tonnes.
—Krishnendu Bandyopadhyay
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