Even as the agrarian distress over the potato crop in West Bengal continues unabated with farmers committing suicide, traders, experts and potato cultivators fear the worst may be yet to come when the cold storages of the State open and release potatoes in the market.
So far there have been reports of 16 farmers committing suicide, something which the State government has denied and refused to acknowledge even a single death as suicide due to agrarian distress.
However, once the cold storages of the State open in May, the potato growers who were trying to escape the distress by putting tuber in cold storage will have no option but to sell the produce.
“Potato has nine month life and in this period bulk of potatoes kept in cold storage has to be exhausted. The stores will open in May and the farmers will try to hold on expecting a price rise which may lead the market to collapse in a few months after May,” Patit Pawan Dey, president of West Bengal Cold Storage association told The Hindu .
Rajesh K. Rana, principal scientist Central Potato Research Institute who visited the potato growing areas of south Bengal suggested that the farmers in the State should try to cover their cost of cultivation and other “paid out” expenses at the earliest.
“This year the farmers should not expect profits like but should be prompt in recovering their cost,” he told The Hindu .
According to him, while the production of potatoes this year has been 11 million tonnes the consumption of potato in the State throughout the year is about six to seven million tons.
However, the farmers who complain of rising cost of production are hoping that by holding on to their produce they can reduce their losses.
Gopal Pal, a farmer of Selimabad village of Bardhaman district who had cultivated potato in about 18 bighas of land said that he is also wary of what price he will get for his produce once the store reopens.
“Most of the farmers who cultivate potatoes take loan. They pay once the produce is sold. With lot of difficulty the potato has made to the stores and now if we are not able to break even it will be a disaster,” he told The Hindu .
During a visit to some of the families where potato farmers have committed suicide The Hindu found that distress is highest among those who have cultivated potato by taking land on lease from other farmers.
Guddu Murmu, a share cropper from Chatimdanga village who was among the first to commit suicide in second week of March had leased out five bighas of land and cultivated potato.
Similarly Atul Let, a farmer from Bishubati village in the same district who died on March 21 after consuming pesticides in the same district had cultivated potato on six bighas of land on lease.
Steps to ease the distress
Farmers and traders blame the Sate government’s policy of not allowing potato out of State for the last two years that has resulted in the distress.
When the price of tuber in the State crossed Rs. 20 a kg the State government banned movement of potatoes to States like Odisha and Jharkhand.
