WB to consider lifting potato shipment ban post cost stability in local mkt

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Shipment of potatoes to other states will be considered after retail prices in West Bengal stabilise at Rs 30 per kg, an official in Kolkata said on Monday.

West Bengal, one of the largest producers of potatoes in the country, has restricted shipment of the commodity to other states because of a steep rise in prices in the local market. Neighbouring states such as Assam, Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar depend on West Bengal for potatoes.

"We have been able to control prices, but our aim is to achieve Rs 30 per kg at the retail level before allowing shipment to neighbouring states," an official of West Bengal's Agriculture Marketing Department said.

The situation is being closely monitored, and the next steps would be decided after a thorough review, he said.

At present, the Jyoti variety of potatoes is retailing at Rs 36 per kg in Kolkata, while the cold storage price stands at Rs 26 per kg.

The state-run Sufal Bangla outlets are selling potatoes at Rs 29 per kg.

The Progressive Potato Traders' Association said it did not receive any official communication regarding price targets or restarting outward shipments.

"There is no communication or directive that shipments to neighbouring states will be allowed once retail prices stabilise at Rs 30 per kg," said Lalu Mukherjee, the secretary of the association.

He said that while dispatches from Hooghly and Burdwan cold storages remained high, those from Medinipur and Bankura, which focus more on shipment to other states, were comparatively less due to the ban.

Traders argued that the varieties shipped to other states differ from those consumed locally, warning that a prolonged ban could lead to a surplus, negatively impacting farmers.

As a result of the restrictions imposed by the West Bengal government, the prices of potatoes have skyrocketed in many states.