February 17 (TSP Bangla) – A record potato harvest in West Bengal is turning into a political challenge for the ruling All India Trinamool Congress ahead of the Assembly elections.
Favourable weather conditions this season have led to expectations of bumper production across the state. While higher output is good news for farmers, it has also raised concerns about a possible price crash if supply outstrips demand.
The Mamata Banerjee government is now working to strike a balance between the interests of farmers, consumers and cold storage owners during the high-stakes election year. Officials are exploring measures to prevent distress sales and ensure stable prices in the market, as the surplus crop begins to arrive.
“I have never witnessed such favourable weather as this year for potato cultivation. So, if nothing goes wrong within a short period, Bengal will witness an unprecedented bumper production,” said state panchayat minister Pradip Mazumdar, who is also the agriculture adviser to chief minister Mamata Banerjee.
“As our policy is to protect the farmers’ interests first, we have already announced that every cold storage across Bengal has to reserve 30 per cent of its space for marginalised farmers so that they are not forced into distress sales,” Mazumdar told The Telegraph on the sidelines of the 61st annual general meeting of the West Bengal Cold Storage Association.
Multiple sources said the Mamata Banerjee government has been closely monitoring the potato sector, which supports around 8 lakh farming families across several districts of West Bengal.
The bulk of potato cultivation is concentrated in Hooghly, Bankura, East Burdwan and West Midnapore, making the crop a crucial part of the rural economy in these regions. Given the scale of livelihoods involved, officials said the government is keen to ensure that farmers do not suffer losses amid the bumper harvest.
“There is always a fear that an abundant supply of potatoes creates a steep fall in prices. Farmers become the easiest targets as most are forced into distress sales. The main challenge is to prevent distress selling and ensure that farmers get a good price. The unprecedented 30 per cent space reservation in cold storages is part of that effort,” said a source.
West Bengal typically produces around 1.2 crore tonnes of potatoes grown on nearly 5,000 hectares of land. This year, however, the agriculture department has projected a sharp rise in output to between 1.7 and 1.9 crore tonnes.
Harvesting began in the third week of February, with the peak arrival of the crop expected between mid-March and early April. The highest supply is likely to hit the markets just as the state enters full election mode, raising concerns that any disruption in pricing or procurement could have political consequences.
Sources in the ruling All India Trinamool Congress said potato farmers and those linked to the supply chain, including traders and cold storage owners, account for nearly 40 lakh voters. Given the economic weight of the sector, any misstep in handling the surplus could prove costly at the ballot box.
To address the situation, the government has called a high-level meeting at Nabanna on Wednesday. A potato procurement policy is expected to be announced, with provisions for direct purchase from farmers to prevent distress sales.
Agriculture marketing minister Becharam Manna, who attended a recent cold storage association event, stressed that the government must safeguard the interests of farmers as well as consumers.
Discontent, however, has been brewing since last year. In 2024, the state imposed a complete ban on interstate potato trade to control rising prices. The move left many farmers and traders facing losses, and resentment continues to linger.
Many cultivators also did not receive the government-announced minimum support price of ₹900 per quintal, as market rates had fallen to around ₹600 per quintal. The cold storage association has estimated that cumulative losses in the potato sector, including farmers, touched ₹2,200 crore.
The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party has begun reaching out to potato farmers over the interstate trade ban and last year’s losses.
Traders pointed out that during the 2024 ban, markets in neighbouring Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand were captured by suppliers from Uttar Pradesh, weakening Bengal’s traditional hold in those states.
“Uttar Pradesh traders have already conducted a buyer-seller meet in Odisha, asking traders not to buy potatoes from Bengal. We have urged the government to conduct similar meetings immediately to prevent another round of losses in the potato sector,” said Subhajit Saha, vice-president of the cold storage association.
Bengal consumes around 80–90 lakh tonnes of potatoes annually. The rest is sold to other states. “If production is bumper and we cannot properly sell potatoes to other states, this sector will face unprecedented losses,” Saha said.
