Restrictions imposed on export of potato from West Bengal have helped contain shooting prices of the vegetable, state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose today claimed and ruled out immediate winding up of the curbs.
The Minister, however, assured the potato traders that the government would look into their demand for compensation, but said "in no way the restrictions on potato export will be withdrawn until the state's requirement is met".
Bose said that potato-laden trucks bound for other states and neighbouring countries were seized for the 10th day today, although there was partial relaxation of the ban on the export to Odisha and Jharkhand for a week till August 23.
Bose said the issue would be discussed on August 25 when Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has convened a meeting of the Task Force on Price Rise. A meeting was also held today on the issue.
Bose said that the Chief Minister had given a direction for the release of 4,500 tonnes of potato per day to Odisha and 500 tonnes of potato per day to Jharkhand from August 17-23 responding to special request from the governments of those states.
The state administration has made arrangements for sale of the seized tubers in local markets at the government regulated price of Rs 14 per kg (Jyoti variety).
State Agriculture Marketing Minister Arup Roy said that nearly 1,700 tonnes of potato had been seized so far.
Besides the clampdown on potato export, the state government has also fixed a ceiling for potato stock in both wholesale and retail markets to prevent hoarding.
To a question, Bose said the state has produced 110 lakh tonnes (LT) of potato, of which 60 LT was stored in cold storages.
But the state has a requirement of only 54 LT for consumption and 8 LT for seeds, he said.
"At present there is a stock of 29 LT in the cold storage, of which 18 LT will be required for consumption till December and 8 LT for seeds," Bose said, adding, "We don't have any problem if the traders export surplus potato to other states or country. But the traders must meet the state's requirement first.
