Dealers agree to release potato from storages at low prices

Kolkata: The potato price at the retail markets in the city and its fringes that shot up over Rs 35 per kg is expected to be down to around Rs 30 per kg with the potato dealers agreeing to release potatoes from the cold storages at Rs 26 per kg.

The decision was taken following a meeting between the state Agricultural Marketing minister, Becharam Manna and the organisation of potato dealers at Haripal in Hooghly on Saturday. The dealers agreed to supply potatoes at flat Rs 26 per kg from the cold storages with effect from Monday.

As per estimates of the organisation, if potato is supplied from storages at Rs 26 per kg, the retail market price should hover around Rs 30 per kg. The task force will keep an eye on the prices in the market and will take action if the price is found to be hiked in an arbitrary manner.

The potatoes of late were sold at Rs 27-28 per kg from the cold storages and in the retail market the price went up to Rs 35 per kg. Potatoes will be supplied to the retail market from the storages with challan stating the cost at Rs 26 per kg so that the sellers don’t sell at a price over Rs 30 per kg. Acting on the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee’s instructions, the Bengal government on Friday completely halted the export of potatoes to other states and ordered that potato cold storages be emptied.

The state government said until the state’s demands are met, the export of potatoes to other states won’t be allowed. The Chief Secretary during the meeting also instructed to make the cold storages empty so that nobody could hoard potatoes. The potato in the retail markets in the city and its fringes comes from Hooghly. Hence, the minister convened a meeting in the particular district for regulating price in the market.