Bhograi: The price of potatoes is gradually soaring in the state as traders in West Bengal have reportedly resorted to hoarding, a report said.
Odisha is dependent on Bengal potatoes. The hoarding in Bengal has impacted Odisha market where potatoes are sold for Rs 30 a kg during COVID times. Its price may go up further.
The growing price of the tubers has left the people crying.
According to reports, Bengal traders have squeezed the supply of potatoes and stocked the vegetable in cold storages. Bengal traders are trying to create an artificial shortage of the tuber to rake in the moolah.
It may be noted here that in 2014, the state had witnessed an unprecedented rise in potato prices. As Bengal traders control the potatoes market of Odisha, the short supply of the tuber has led to a steep rise in its price.
At that time, the state government had formed the Potato Mission which has apparently failed to make the state self-sufficient.
Famers in Baliapal observed that potato farmers here face distress sale of the produce during harvest time as there is no cold storage to sell the produce later.
However, the horticulture department claimed that 35 cold stores have been made functional while 19 of them being executed in Balasore have not been completed.
Now only two cold stores are functioning at Phula and Soro while another at Balasore ITI has allegedly been grabbed by Bengal traders who are preserving fruits and other items there.
Another cold store is being set up at Idak under Baliapal block, but its construction work is moving at a snail’s pace. Another cold store at Jalasahari in Bhograi has remained defunct.
Farmers alleged that as sufficient cold stores are not in the district, farmers are reluctant to take up potato farming only to face distress sale later.
Given the potato price rise, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has directed the traders not to sell potatoes beyond Rs 25 a kg.
Some Bengal traders said if West Bengal faces a crisis in potatoes, they are expected to shrink the supply of potatoes to other states.
In such a situation, people of Odisha are likely to face the heat when prices of potatoes hit the roof in case of curbs on supply from the neighbouring state.
PNN