West Bengal Farmers hit by distress sale

At a time when inflation has touched a three year high of 7.41 per cent and prices of all foodgrains have gone up, potato growers here are a distressed lot as prices of potato have remained low.

West Bengal Agriculture Marketing minister Mortaza Hossain said, "the demand for potato is slack because the state has recorded an additional potato production of 80 lakh tonnes this year and neighbouring states too have had a good harvest."

The farmers are also ruing the lack of cold storage facilities leading to distress sale.

Bimal Majumdar, a potato grower from Hooghly district said "we are not getting any buyer for our yield. And those who come to buy, realizing that we have no option but to sell, offer a price which is below the production cost."