When production levels are high, a producer’s face often lights up with relief and joy. However, when production surges, yet the expected profits do not follow, an entirely different and distressing reality emerges. This is the unfortunate situation currently being faced by millions of potato farmers in West Bengal, who are grappling with a crisis of economic sustainability.
This year, Bengal has witnessed an unprecedented production of various potato varieties, with an estimated yield of 1.4 crore tonnes. However, farmers are struggling to secure even the minimum expected prices for their produce. The expression of joy has been replaced by one of despair.
“We have not received fair prices for Pokhraj potatoes harvested since the first week of January. On average, we have been offered only Rs 550 per quintal, which does not even cover our production costs. Farmers are incurring significant losses,” laments Samir Bhandari, a potato farmer from Piritchak village in Kotulpur block, Bankura district.
He adds, “Now, the harvesting of Jyoti potatoes – the most widely cultivated variety in the state – has begun, but its market price is also far below expectations. We are at a loss about what to do and feel hopeless.”
Farmers Samir Bhandary and his wife, son and grandchild harvesting potato in Piritchak village, Kotulpur.
The West Bengal government has announced that Jyoti potatoes will be purchased at Rs 900 per quintal. However, farmers remain deeply concerned about the fate of the remaining potato stock. “More than 35 quintals of potatoes are produced per bigha (about 0.25 hectare) of land. Where will we sell such large quantities at these low prices?” Bhandari questions.
Additionally, complications exist in the government’s procurement policies. Many potato farmers in the state are sharecroppers who lack land ownership documents, making them ineligible to participate in the government’s purchase scheme.
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Utpal Ray, a farmer from Balaichak village in Khanakul 2 block, Hooghly district, expresses his concerns. “Why has the government decided on a procurement price of only Rs 900 per quintal? If the agriculture department conducts a proper cost analysis, they will understand the real expenses involved in potato cultivation. If the government were to purchase at Rs 1,300 per quintal, farmers could at least break even,” he says.
According to media reports, the government has instructed cold storage facilities to procure potatoes from farmers on behalf of the state between March 1 and March 31. However, as of noon on March 1, cold storage operators had not received clear directives from the authorities. “The matter remains unclear to us,” says Prasenjit Chatterjee, owner of Prasenjit cold storage in Sonamukhi, Bankura.
The uncertainty surrounding potato procurement has left farmers, traders, and cold storage owners in a state of deep anxiety. Given that potatoes are a staple and a major agricultural product of Bengal, this crisis is bound to have a significant impact on the market economy. The pressing question is – why has such uncertainty been allowed to persist?
Potato cultivation in West Bengal
“Potatoes can be grown in almost any type of soil except alkaline soils. However, loamy and sandy loam soils rich in organic matter, with good drainage and aeration, are most suitable for potato cultivation,” says Anjan Sinha, a professor in the Botany department of Raghunathpur College, Purulia.
He adds that potatoes are a temperate climate crop and can only be grown under conditions where the temperature remains moderately cool during the growing season. The vegetative growth of the plant thrives at around 24°C, while tuber development is optimal at 20°C. In India, potatoes are cultivated primarily as a winter crop.
Uttar Pradesh is the largest producer of potatoes in India, followed by West Bengal. The state has vast tracts of suitable soil and favorable weather conditions for potato cultivation. Every year, between the first and last week of November, different varieties of potato seeds are planted across West Bengal.
Farm labourers harvesting potato in Raubaghini village, Kotulpur, Bankura.
“Three decades ago, in the mid-1980s, potato cultivation was limited to small areas in the state. However, the introduction of high-yielding and advanced potato seeds, along with improved irrigation facilities provided by the Left Front government and financial support from cooperative societies, led to a rapid increase in production,” says Rajit Maji, a large-scale potato farmer from Hijoldiha village in Joypur Block, Bankura District.
Similar sentiments were echoed by Sheikh Moniruddin, an octogenarian farmer from Dangapara village in Memari 1 Block, Purba Bardhaman, one of the state’s major potato-producing regions.
Current scenario of potato production
According to state government data, West Bengal produces 90 to 100 lakh tonnes of potatoes annually. The total area under potato cultivation in the state is approximately 4.7 lakh hectares. The leading potato-producing districts include Hooghly, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Paschim Medinipur and Bankura. Other significant potato-growing districts include Howrah, Jhargram, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, Uttar Dinajpur and Nadia.
Several varieties of potatoes are cultivated in Bengal, including Jyoti, Pokhraj, Hemangini, S-6, Chandramukhi and K-22. Among these, Jyoti is the most widely cultivated and has the highest market demand.
This year, potatoes have been cultivated on 5.13 lakh hectares of land in West Bengal. The state government estimates that total potato production, including all varieties, will reach 1.4 crore metric tonnes, marking a 30% increase from the previous year. If these projections hold, this year will set a new record for potato production in the state.
However, this increase in production has not been smooth for farmers.
“We bought potato seeds at a significantly higher price than last year. In 2023, the price of 50 kg of seed was 2200 rupees, whereas this year, the price has surged to 2800 to 3000 rupees. Additionally, fertilisers like DAP (Diammonium Phosphate), which are essential for potato cultivation, had to be purchased from the black market at 1800 to 2200 rupees per 50 kg bag, while the actual government price was 1570 rupees. The government has failed to regulate the prices of fertilizers and seeds,” say farmers Tarasankar Karmakar from Raibaghini village in Kotulpur Block, Bankura, and Sussanto Haldar from Khorikasuli village in Garbeta block of Paschim Medinipur district.
Challenges faced by farmers
The condition of Primary Agricultural Cooperative Societies (PACS) has deteriorated. “Most cooperative societies are either closed or barely functioning. The few that still exist have not held elections for their managing committees, and they are often controlled by individuals who have no connection with agriculture. Farmers are confused and frustrated by their mismanagement,” says Tarun Raj, a state leader of Paschimbanga Samabai Banchao Mancha and a resident of Bhairobpur village in Barjora block, Bankura district.
Several farmers echoed his concerns. “A decade ago, fertilisers were provided by cooperative societies at a lower price than the market rate. However, this system has been non-functional for nearly ten years. Now, we are forced to buy fertilisers and pesticides from the black market at inflated prices,” says Durgadas Bhandari and Karali Ghose from Moynapur village in Joypur Block, Bankura, and Uttam Ray from Goghat, Hooghly District.
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Cooperative societies were once a major source of agricultural loans for farmers. However, the availability of loans has significantly declined. Farmers are now required to have land ownership documents in their name to access loans. Many farmers, whose land is still registered under the names of their fathers or grandfathers, are now deprived of this financial assistance.
“In Bankura district, 67,667 farmers received loans from PACS during the potato-growing season 12 years ago. This year, that number has dropped to 33382. The interest rate is 7%, but if a farmer repays the loan on time, they receive a 3% subsidy from the central government, reducing the effective interest rate to 4%,” says a retired officer of Bankura District Central Cooperative Bank.
However, farmers are missing out on this benefit due to the dysfunctional state of cooperative societies.
Rise of microfinance companies and weather challenges
With the decline of cooperative societies, microfinance companies have stepped in to provide loans at 18% interest rates. Additionally, farmers are taking loans from local shopkeepers and middlemen to purchase fertilisers, pesticides, and other essential inputs.
Farmers collecting potatoes, damaged by untimely rain in Balaichak village, Khanakul block, Hooghly.
In mid-January, untimely rainfall and water discharge from the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) reservoir in Durgapur caused localised damage in parts of Bankura, Hooghly, and Purba Bardhaman. However, overall weather conditions from seed plantation to harvest have been favourable, leading to an excellent yield this year, said farmers Nirmal Mandal from Nobason village in Sonamukhi, Bankura, and Rampada Sau from Balaichak in Khanakul block, Hooghly district.
Drowning in debt
Farmers report that the cost of potato cultivation is around Rs 30,000-33,000 per bigha:
- Pokhraj potatoes, harvested in early January, yield 40 to 45 quintals per bigha. The average market price has been Rs 540 per quintal, resulting in financial losses for farmers.
- Jyoti potatoes, which started arriving in the market in early February, yield 35 to 40 quintals per bigha. Initially, farmers received Rs 950 to 1,000 per quintal, but prices are now fluctuating.
Many Pokhraj potatoes remain unsold, as they cannot be stored in cold storage. With Jyoti potatoes flooding the market, Pokhraj prices are expected to drop further.
Even agricultural labourers are facing hardships. “We work all day harvesting potatoes for 220 rupees per day, but the landowners say they can only pay us once the potatoes are sold. How are we supposed to feed our families?” ask Aloka Khetropal and Chandi Charan Bauri from Raibaghini, Kotulpur block, Bankura.
“Instead of celebrating a bumper harvest, farmers are drowning in debt and uncertainty. We are deeply worried about repaying the loans we took from microfinance companies and local shopkeepers,” says Sumanta Bag, a farmer from Raibaghini village, Bankura.
Government’s potato procurement announcement: Promise vs. reality
On February 25, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee announced at the state secretariat, Nabanna, that the government would procure 11 lakh tonnes of potatoes from farmers across 12 districts at a minimum support price (MSP) of Rs 900 per quintal. Each farmer would be allowed to sell up to 35 quintals.
A subsequent notification from the state agricultural marketing department stated that cold storages would purchase the potatoes on behalf of the government. To facilitate this, the government would provide loans to cold storage owners through cooperative and nationalised banks. These owners would later sell the stored potatoes starting June 7, with a mandatory weekly sale of 5% of the total reserves.
Potatoes filled in sacks after harvesting in Raubaghini village, Kotulpur, Bankura.
The government-set price for potato bonds was Rs 1,062 per quintal, factoring in bank loan interest (12%) and a 10% profit margin for cold storage owners. If market prices fell below this rate, the government pledged subsidies to cover the difference.
However, the on-ground implementation of this has faced challenges. Deputy director of agriculture for Bankura district, Deb Kumar Sarkar, assured that agricultural officials would oversee purchases at cold storage facilities. Yet, Prasenjit Chatterjee, owner of Prasenjit Cold Store in Sonamukhi, Bankura, stated, “Most cold storages opened on March 1, but as of March 5, no purchases have taken place. We only heard about the scheme through the media and have not received any clear guidelines from the state government.”
Farmers’ reluctance to participate
Farmers across Hooghly, Paschim Medinipur, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, and Bankura have expressed reluctance to sell their produce through government procurement camps. Many have criticised the MSP, arguing that it does not account for cultivation costs, which range from Rs 30,000 to 33,000 per bigha.
Additionally, the government is only purchasing the Jyoti variety, up to 35 quintals per farmer. Since a single bigha yields approximately 35 quintals, farmers with larger landholdings are left without an alternative for their remaining produce.
A potato farmer who has come to sell his potatoes to a trader in Kotulpur, Bankura.
Moreover, in the open market, Jyoti potatoes, regardless of size, are selling at Rs 950-1,000 per quintal, making government procurement less attractive. Farmers also fear losses due to selective grading at government camps, where only larger potatoes will be accepted, leaving smaller ones unsold.
Documentation barriers
To sell to government camps, farmers must apply through their block development officer (BDO) and provide land ownership documents, along with a Krishak Bandhu card, a Kisan credit card, and a Bangla Shasya Bima insurance card. Many farmers, however, lease their land to sharecroppers, who lack official ownership documents and are, thus, ineligible for the scheme.
Ajit Ray, former MLA of Sonamukhi, stated, “Many sharecroppers cultivate paddy, potatoes, and other crops, but without land ownership, they cannot access the Krishak Bandhu scheme.”
Additionally, Asis Ghose, a farmer from Koyalpara, Kotulpur, noted that Shasya Bima enrollment is primarily tied to bank loans, which many farmers do not receive, forcing them to rely on microfinance institutions or local lenders. Last year, panchayats assisted with insurance enrollment, but this year, no such initiative has been taken.
Market realities and cold storage concerns
West Bengal consumes approximately 60 lakh tonnes of potatoes annually, with surplus produce being exported. However, much of the cold storage capacity is controlled by traders who purchase directly from farmers. With over one lakh potato traders in the state, this trade forms a vital source of income for many families.
The state has 507 cold storage facilities with a total capacity of 88 lakh tonnes. Typically, potatoes stored between March and early April are gradually released from cold storage starting in late May to meet local demand and for export. However, last year, the state government restricted potato exports, resulting in massive losses for farmers and traders.
A farmer sits on a heap of potato sacks at the Lalbazar cold store.
Lalmohan Mukherjee, secretary of Pashchimbanga Pragotishil Aloo Byabsayi Samity, recalls, “Last year, cold storage rental costs for 100 quintals amounted to Rs 1.6 lakh, but government restrictions prevented interstate sales. Large quantities of potatoes were wasted due to administrative obstacles.”
Sahadeb Ghose, a large-scale farmer from Kotulpur, adds, “Many farmers could not retrieve their potatoes from storage last November-December, leading to financial distress and unpaid storage fees. This year’s bumper crop has intensified concerns about market stability and financial losses.”
With production exceeding previous records, farmers remain uncertain about their prospects. Many are selling to private traders despite lower profits, fearing delayed payments and restrictive conditions under the government procurement scheme.
Until clearer policies and a more farmer-friendly framework are established, skepticism about the scheme’s effectiveness will persist.
All photos are by Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.