India: Potato farmers protest in Sadiya over low prices and market access

A massive protest by potato farmers on Monday brought traffic to a standstill on the Sadiya main road, as cultivators demanded fair prices for their produce and the creation of a proper market system.

The agitation was staged at the 8 Mile Tiniali area, where farmers dumped thousands of kilograms of potatoes onto the road as a mark of protest. Vehicular movement along the Sadiya road was completely disrupted, triggering a traffic jam that lasted over three hours.

More than a hundred farmers arrived at the protest site, lending the scene the look of large-scale farmers’ movements witnessed in Punjab in recent years. Speaking to the press, the agitating farmers said potato cultivators in Sadiya were facing an acute crisis, with production costs far exceeding market returns.
 

Production costs far exceed market prices

They said seed potatoes are being purchased at around INR 60 per kg (USD 0.72), while prices of harvested potatoes have crashed to as low as INR 7 per kg (USD 0.08), pushing growers into heavy losses.

One of the protesting farmers:

"We have not received a fair price for our produce. Farmers are in a very bad state, and many have taken bank loans to cultivate potatoes. We suspect the involvement of a large syndicate and urge the authorities to take immediate action."

The farmers also alleged that markets across Assam are flooded with low-quality potatoes brought in from other states, depriving local cultivators of fair market prices. They said several young farmers who have taken loans to enter potato cultivation are now burdened with debt and staring at an uncertain future.
 

Demand for a dedicated farmers’ market

Another farmer, requesting anonymity:

"Many schemes are announced for farmers, but nothing has changed. In 2022, we were promised that farmers’ income would double. Now, in 2026, incomes are falling instead. We demand the establishment of a dedicated farmers’ market in Tinsukia."

After nearly three hours, the protesters submitted a memorandum to the Sadiya sub-divisional administration and temporarily called off the agitation. However, they warned that the protest would be intensified in the coming days, following discussions with the government, if their demands are not addressed.

Farmers arrived at the protest site with tractors