Potato imports cost Assam Rs 4,500 crore yearly

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Thousands of crores of rupees go out from Assam yearly for importing potatoes, let alone for egg, fish and broiler chicken. Even though 70 per cent of the state's population are farmers, the state is not yet self-sufficient in potatoes. It is something to worry.

According to estimation, the annual demand for potatoes in the state is around 40 lakh tonnes. The production of potatoes in the state is around 11 lakh tonnes. The bulk of the potato comes to Assam from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, besides a meagre quantity from Meghalaya. Potato import costs the state around Rs 4,500 crore annually.

The potato trade in Assam is under the grip of a few. They are the ones who control potato prices in the state. When there is public outcry regarding high potato prices, the State Food and Civil Supplies Department comes to the forefront, holds a few meetings with the wholesalers and takes a few measures. However, the situation is back to square one after that.

The State Food and Civil Supplies Department's opt-repeated view is that potato does not come under its jurisdiction. Their jurisdiction covers only essential commodities. The district administrations should control the market pricing.

The farmers of Assam cultivate potatoes on their own without any emphasis from the State Agriculture Department. Potato is a perishable item that needs adequate cold storage facilities. According to sources, Uttar Pradesh has around 2,696 cold storage facilities, 1,230 in West Bengal and only 30 in Assam. Apart from this, when the prices of potatoes come down during the harvesting season, West Bengal and UP governments procure potatoes in bulk at minimum support prices (MSPs). However, Assam has no such system.

The State Agriculture Department should have provided high-yielding potato seeds to the farmers. Besides identifying lands suitable for potato cultivation, it should also take measures to improve the soil health for potato cultivation. Increasing the number of cold storage facilities in the state continues to be one of the basic needs for state farmers.

Interestingly, a few years ago, the AASU took the initiative to cultivate potatoes in a vast area in the Barpeta district. It was a good initiative that died down later.

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