India: West Bengal Promises Special Package for Potato Growers as 54% of Murshidabad Stocks Remain Unsold
Key takeaways
- 54% of Murshidabad cold-store potato stocks remain unsold
- 180 rupees per 50 kg bag is the price quoted for Pukhraj
- 280 rupees per 50 kg bag is the price quoted for Jyoti
- 2 rupees per unit power subsidy for about 400,000 farmers
Why it matters
- For farmers
- Sell stored Pukhraj stock early rather than wait for December, and budget seed purchases only after the state package details are public.
- For traders
- Expect heavy selling from Bengal stores before the new crop; watch competition from cheaper Uttar Pradesh potatoes in Bihar and Jharkhand.
- For suppliers
- Delay large seed and fertiliser stocking in West Bengal until the package terms are known; demand may hinge on them.
60-second summary
West Bengal plans relief for potato growers who are still sitting on last season's stocks. On 25 September Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari said a special package will be announced before the planting season, which one outlet placed in December, but he gave no amount. The pressure is visible in Murshidabad, where a Bengali daily found that more than half of cold-store stocks, 54 percent, were still unsold in late September, some 8 to 9 percent more than usual. Pukhraj potatoes fetch about 180 rupees per 50 kg bag and Jyoti about 280 rupees. Traders blame cheaper supply from Uttar Pradesh in Bihar and Jharkhand. For growers, the package may decide how much seed they can afford. For seed and input sellers, demand depends on its terms. The package details are not yet known, and the Murshidabad figures come from one newspaper report, so they may not reflect the whole state.
West Bengal will announce a special package for potato growers. Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari made the promise on 25 September at an administrative meeting in Purba Bardhaman.
The package will be announced before the cultivation season, several media reported. The Free Press Journal said it will come before planting in December. The chief minister did not give an amount or details.
He said potato growers had been hit by black marketing and by limits on moving potatoes to other states under the previous government, The Statesman reported. At the same meeting, he announced a power subsidy of ₹2 per unit for about 400,000 farmers.
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Cold stores still full
Farmers need help. Large stocks from the last harvest are still in cold stores. In Murshidabad district, 54% of cold-store stocks were still unsold in late September, the Bengali daily Bartaman reported on 23 September. Only 46% had left the stores. That is 8–9% more stock than in previous years at this time.
The district has eight cold stores. Sales of the Pukhraj variety are especially slow. It fetches about ₹180 per 50 kg bag. The Jyoti variety sells for about ₹280 per bag, according to the report.
Traders say cheaper potatoes from Uttar Pradesh are flooding markets in Jharkhand and Bihar. That leaves little room for Bengal potatoes in those states. The new crop is expected in markets by late December. Stored potatoes must be sold before then.
One farmer told the newspaper he still has 700 bags in store and does not know when he can sell them.
Why it matters
West Bengal is one of the largest potato states in India. Unsold stocks at planting time often lead to lower seed purchases and smaller areas. The size and form of the promised package will shape planting decisions for the 2026–27 crop. Seed and input suppliers should watch for the details before the December planting window.
Photo: Potatoes being transported to a cold store in India (illustrative). Suyash Dwivedi / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
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What next
The chief minister said the package for potato growers will be announced before the planting season; one report places this before December planting. New-crop potatoes are expected in markets by late December.
Sources
- The Statesman — https://www.thestatesman.com/cities/kolkata/matri-shakti-farmer-relief-crackdown-on-sand-syndicate-suvendus-bardhaman-blitz-1503643049.html
- Free Press Journal — https://www.freepressjournal.in/india/west-bengal-announces-2-per-unit-power-subsidy-for-4-lakh-farmers-says-cm-suvendu-adhikari
- Bartaman Patrika (Bengali), Murshidabad — https://bartamanpatrika.com/news/farmers-and-traders-in-trouble-over-topaz-potatoes-stored-in-cold-storage-due-to-low-sales
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