Potato export facilitation centre soon

The West Bengal government is planning to set up a potato export facilitation centre.

The state food processing industries and horticulture department would approach the land and land reforms department for setting up the facility, said Mohanta Chatterjee, minister for food processing industries and horticulture, West Bengal, at the annual general meeting of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association in Kolkata on Thursday.

Earlier, the food processing department had identified Singur and Dankuni for setting up the unit.

"However, due to unforeseen reasons, the plan got cancelled," the minister said.

Instead, the government is now scouting for land in the Hooghly district.

The unit will not only promote research and development (R&D) in potato farming, but also facilitate the export of potato to countries in the US and Europe.

A major part of the project would be funded by the Centre, the minister said, without divulging further details.

Last year, several potato farmers in the state resorted to distress sale of the commodity, as prices crashed after a bumper crop. This year, potato production in the state is likely to be 30 per cent less than the previous year on account of the late blight disease.

Naren De, West Bengal agriculture minister said, potato production in the state this year would be 22,00,000 ton less than normal. This comes after a record potato production of around 80,00,000 ton last year, an increase of nearly 60 per cent over the previous year's production of 50,00000 ton, in the state.