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Madan Prasad, president of the Potato and Onion Sellers Association in Jharkhand, stated that 60-70% of the state’s potato supply comes from West Bengal.
West Bengal bans potato export to Odisha, Jharkhand.
Tensions between West Bengal and neighbouring states, particularly Jharkhand and Odisha, reached a boiling point due to the ongoing restrictions on potato exports imposed by the West Bengal government. Trucks carrying potatoes from West Bengal have been halted at the Dibudih check post in Maithon, Dhanbad (Jharkhand) for the past three days, disrupting vital potato supplies to Jharkhand. This has contributed to rising prices, already strained by high onion costs, burdening consumers.
Madan Prasad, president of the Potato and Onion Sellers Association in Jharkhand, stated that 60-70% of the state’s potato supply comes from West Bengal. With daily deliveries typically ranging from 80 to 110 trucks, the shortage is exacerbating price hikes. The price of potatoes in Jharkhand has surged, with white potatoes now priced at Rs 35 per kg, r9++++*-ed potatoes at Rs 40 per kg, and new potatoes reaching Rs 50 per kg.
The situation also had a significant impact on Odisha, where prices have spiked. Odisha’s Food Supply and Consumer Welfare Minister, KC Patra, announced that 300 trucks from Uttar Pradesh are expected to arrive, which will help stabilise prices. However, Patra also warned of strict action against black marketeers exploiting the situation.
Odisha requires at least 12 lakh tonnes of potato per annum. But it produces 22.82% of potatoes required in the state to meet consumers’ needs. Thus, it is forced to meet 90% of its potato demand with the help of other states. In order to make the state self-sufficient in potatoes by the year 2017-18, the previous Biju Janata Dal government had launched the State Potato Mission during 2015-16 for production, storage and distribution of potatoes in the state. But the programme did not yield the desired result.
As against a target of having 60,000 hectares under potato cultivation, set in 2015-16, the area under production went up from 15,000 hectares to 25,000 hectares in 2020-21. There was also no significant increase in production, which went up from 3.02 lakh mt in 2015-16 to 3.09 lakh mt in 2020-21.
The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC government in West Bengal reinstated the export ban due to surging local prices, reaching Rs 35-40 per kg in Kolkata. The government’s move to curb exports aims to stabilise domestic prices, but the decision has been met with fierce opposition. The Progressive Potato Traders’ Association announced a state-wide strike beginning Tuesday, December 3, as talks between traders and the government failed to break the deadlock.
Agriculture Marketing Minister Becharam Manna defended the export restrictions, arguing that they were necessary to protect local consumers from high prices. He accused some traders of creating an artificial shortage, allegedly attempting to smuggle potatoes into Bangladesh through border areas like Malda, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Cooch Behar. Despite appeals from the government to call off the strike, traders are determined to move forward with their protest.
Meanwhile, the West Bengal government intensified monitoring of cold storage facilities and implemented stricter measures to prevent hoarding. The state is working to ensure that potatoes remain available at affordable prices, with subsidised rates of Rs 26 per kilogramme in Kolkata and Rs 28 per kilogramme in other districts since July. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee also collaborated with the Food Corporation of India (FCI) to procure additional potatoes if needed.
West Bengal’s potato production has also been impacted by recent natural disasters, reducing the output from 63.58 lakh metric tonnes to 58.64 lakh metric tonnes in 2024. Despite a shortfall of 4.5 lakh metric tonnes, the state maintains a stock of 6.2 lakh metric tonnes in cold storage. The government warned traders against profiteering, as some have been accused of inflating prices from Rs 650 per quintal to Rs 1,000-1,070 per quintal.
While the West Bengal government insists on keeping surplus potatoes within the state to ensure price stability, the ongoing restrictions and rising tensions have led to political fallout. Dhanbad MP Dhullu Mahato criticised the government’s actions as “dictatorial” and pledged to raise the issue in the Lok Sabha. With both sides entrenched in their positions, the situation could escalate further, potentially affecting states like Maharashtra.
