Tensions between West Bengal and neighbouring states, particularly Jharkhand and Odisha, reached a boiling point due to the ongoing restrictions on potato exports imposed by the West Bengal government. Trucks carrying potatoes from West Bengal have been halted at the Dibudih check post in Maithon, Dhanbad (Jharkhand) for the past three days, disrupting vital potato supplies to Jharkhand. This has contributed to rising prices, already strained by high onion costs, burdening consumers.
Madan Prasad, president of the Potato and Onion Sellers Association in Jharkhand, stated that 60-70% of the state’s potato supply comes from West Bengal. With daily deliveries typically ranging from 80 to 110 trucks, the shortage is exacerbating price hikes. The price of potatoes in Jharkhand has surged, with white potatoes now priced at Rs 35 per kg, r9++++*-ed potatoes at Rs 40 per kg, and new potatoes reaching Rs 50 per kg.
The situation also had a significant impact on Odisha, where prices have spiked. Odisha’s Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister, KC Patra, announced that 300 trucks from Uttar Pradesh are expected to arrive, which will help stabilise prices. However, Patra also warned of strict action against black marketeers exploiting the situation.
Odisha requires at least 12 lakh tonnes of potato per annum. But it produces 22.82% of potatoes required in the state to meet consumers’ needs. Thus, it is forced to meet 90% of its potato demand with the help of other states. In order to make the state self-sufficient in potatoes by the year 2017-18, the previous Biju Janata Dal government had launched the State Potato Mission during 2015-16 for production, storage and distribution of potatoes in the state. But the programme did not yield the desired result.
As against a target of having 60,000 hectares under potato cultivation, set in 2015-16, the area under production went up from 15,000 hectares to 25,000 hectares in 2020-21. There was also no significant increase in production, which went up from 3.02 lakh mt in 2015-16 to 3.09 lakh mt in 2020-21.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal reinstated the export ban due to surging local prices, reaching Rs 35-40 per kg in Kolkata. The government’s move to curb exports aims to stabilise domestic prices, but the decision has been met with fierce opposition. The Progressive Potato Traders’ Association announced a state-wide strike beginning Tuesday, December 3, as talks between traders and the government failed to break the deadlock.
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