West Bengal: Cold storage body offers potatoes at Rs 26 per kg to govt to stem prices

The West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCSA) has offered to supply potatoes to the state government at Rs 26 per kg amid high prices in the retail market, officials said on Wednesday.

At present, potatoes are being sold in the retail market at Rs 37-40 per kg, depending on the size, they said.

"We have sent a proposal to the state government about supplying potatoes at Rs 1,300 per 50 kg packet (Rs 26 per kg) with a minimum size of 35mm to Sufal Bangla. The price is ex-cold storage gate," an official of the WBCSA's Hooghly unit said.

The cold storage price currently is Rs 28-29 per kg.

"We cannot handle distribution ourselves. We can arrange about 3 lakh quintals per day for the government, which is nearly 30 per cent of Kolkata's daily requirement. There was a meeting with the state administration on Tuesday and they have shown interest," the official said.

Most of the potatoes to Kolkata arrive from the Hooghly district.

Agricultural Marketing Minister Becharam Manna said state-run Sufal Bangla outlets are selling 3 kg of potatoes and 1 kg of onions per family at Rs 29 and Rs 39 per kg, respectively.

Since last week, 25 new Sufal Bangla outlets have been opened, he said.

The high prices were attributed to low production and inferior quality caused by unfavourable climate conditions, industry sources said.

Despite cold storage data indicating that 45 lakh tonnes of potatoes are available, in real terms, it is 30 per cent lower after accounting for very small size varieties and wastage, they said.

This year, the share of small-size potatoes is double that of the previous year, they said, adding the overall national production shortfall has also kept prices elevated.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee directed the officials concerned to address the high prices of vegetables and set a deadline of 10 days, which will end this week.

The Agriculture Task Force and the Enforcement Department are inspecting retail markets to prevent hoarding and price manipulation. However, there has been little effect with the prices yet to cool.