Kolkata: State Agricultural Marketing Minister Becharam Manna on Monday said the government has laid emphasis on strengthening storage infrastructure in view of bumper potato production, adding that the recent Budget allocation reflects this priority.
Addressing the 61st Annual General Meeting of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA), Manna noted that over 1.5 crore people in the state — including farmers, cold storage owners, carriers, sellers and transporters — are dependent on potato production and marketing. “The state has to look after the interests of all,” he said.
Sunil Kumar Rana, president of WBCSA, said that in the 2025 season, the government offered a Minimum Support Price (MSP) of Rs 900 per quintal under the potato procurement scheme, while average market prices fell to around Rs 600 per quintal. This, he claimed, has led to an estimated loss of over Rs 2,200 crore on preserved stock of 72 lakh metric tonnes (MT).
West Bengal is likely to produce nearly 140 lakh MT of potatoes this season.
The Association proposed transport subsidies for inter-state movement, buyer–seller meets with neighbouring states, inclusion of potatoes in mid-day meals and ration, export-oriented cultivation and overseas market access, and revision of cold storage rental charges in line with rising input costs.
Manna said he would convene a meeting with the Association on February 18 to discuss the issues and assured that the state is committed to addressing their concerns.
Pradip Kumar Mazumdar, Minister-in-Charge of the Department of Panchayat & Rural Development, Subhajit Saha, Vice President of WBCSA, and others were present.