Assam takes up hiccups in potato and onion supply with Centre

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Amidst the continuous reports emerging in a certain section of the media on the restricted movement of potatoes and onion imports into Assam and the North Eastern region, a meeting was convened by the Minister of Food, Civil Supplies and Consumer Affairs, Ranjeet Kumar Dass, with the representatives of the Potato Traders' Association on Friday in Guwahati.

The Chief Secretary, Assam took up the matter with the Managing Director of the National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India Ltd. (NAFED) on July 20, 2024, and also with the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, drawing the attention of the authorities concerned for undertaking of remedial measures to ensure continuous supply of potatoes into the region.

In response to the efforts, Secretary, MoCA, F & PD, Government of India, asked NAFED to help improve the supply of essential goods in Assam. Accordingly, NAFED is working on a mechanism in consultation with the State Government to improve the supply of potatoes, onion, etc. In addition, Chief Secretary, Assam further took up the matter with the Chief Secretary of West Bengal for necessary intervention of the local administration to enable free flow of essential commodities moving in and out of Assam and the North Eastern region via and from West Bengal.

During the review meeting held on Friday, the representatives of the Potato Traders' Association also apprised the Minister about the wholesale and retail rates of potatoes. They said that the wholesale rate is Rs 27 per kilogram for potatoes sourced from West Bengal, whereas for potatoes sourced from Uttar Pradesh, the wholesale rate stands at Rs 32 per kilogram. The retail rate is Rs 40 per kilogram. The stakeholders assured during the meeting that there is adequate supply and stock of potatoes available to cater to the current demand across Assam.

However, the State Government is continuing its dialogue with NAFED and the associated bulk suppliers and closely monitoring the situation to ensure that the market price of potatoes remains reasonable to consumers across Assam and in the North Eastern Region.

Also Read: ‘Vegetable prices, especially potato and onion, pose upside risk to food inflation’ (sentinelassam.com)

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