CPI(M) State Secretary Surya Kanta Mishra today said the West Bengal government should take steps for exporting potato to other states and outside for helping distressed farmers here.
Mishra met the bereaved family of dead farmer Nritya Gopal Burman, 45, at Nagrakata who allegedly hanged himself on March 25 after failing to repay loans he had taken to cultivate the vegetable.
The former Bengal minister said in the wake of potato farmers committing suicides, there needs to be an immediate response from the state so that the potato growers could reap the benefit of record crop production.
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Mishra said though the state had decided on principle to issue a 65 per cent potato bond for farmers, it was yet to implement the policy thus depriving farmers and leading them to destruction with potato getting damaged.
The farmer had failed to repay the loans taken for cultivation of potato seeds and his death took the toll of distressed potato farmers in the state to nine in past fortnight.
Mishra said farmers should get the remunerative price for his potato cultivation.
Of the other eight deaths - seven occurred in the southern district of Burdwan in past 15 days and one in Malda district yesterday.
