Odisha forms task force to find solution to potato crisis

Plans to create 40,000 tonne buffer stock of potato every season

The state government today constituted a task force to find out permanent solution for the potato crisis cropping up at regular intervals. The task force has been asked to submit its report within 30 days mentioning measures to make the state self-sufficient in potato requirement.

“The task force will prepare a long term action plan for production, preservation and distribution of potato. It has been asked to submit the report within 30 days. I hope the recommendations of the committee will go a long way in finding a permanent solution to the crisis,” said food supplies and consumer welfare minister, Sanjaya Kumar Dasburma after a meeting with the officials from agriculture, cooperation and food supplies department and state-run marketing agencies.

The task force will suggest plans on potato production, storage and distribution across all the districts of the state.

“We will chalk out plans for potato production after getting inputs from the Food Supplies department about annual requirement. Then we will focus on storage of seed and distribution of potato,” said Rajesh Kumar Verma, secretary, agriculture, Odisha government.

Apart from long-term solutions, the government has also decided to create a buffer stock of 40,000 tonne potato every year at the time of harvesting season.

“A buffer stock of 4 lakh quintal (40,000 tonne) potatoes will be created to meet the requirement at the time of necessity. About 2 lakh quintals (20,000 tonne) will be stored in six cold storages under the Cooperation department. Another five private cold storages have been identified for keeping the rest 2 lakh quintals potatoes. MARKFED and NAFED will take up the procurement of potatoes during harvesting season and will submit the proposal accordingly,” the state government said in a statement.

These buffer stock will be released every year between August and December, it added.

In the meeting, the minister directed the director of Horticulture department to submit an action plan for revival of 12 cold storages under the Cooperation department which are not in running condition at present. The public distribution wing has also been directed to work out a road map for lifting and distribution of the stock during the time of requirement.

Total cold storage capacity of the state stands at merely 36,000 tonne, out of which about 15,000 tonne capacity are in defunct stage. However, the capacity of privately-owned cold storages could go up to 132,000 tonne in the state.

Odisha imports close to one million potato every year mainly from West Bengal to meet its annual requirement of 1.1 million tonne as the domestic production of this vegetable variety stands around 250,000 tonne. The state has been facing an acute crisis in potato supply for the last one week following the West Bengal government’s decision not to allow movement of potato laden trucks into the state.