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Politics over potatoes strains kitchen budget |
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NAGPUR: West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee's politics over potatoes has led to the prices of the kitchen staple shoot in Nagpur and other parts of the state. West Bengal, which supplies the commodity to eastern and southern parts of the country, had, over three months ago, banned its exports to other states. Banerjee's idea behind the move was to keep the rates low in her state. Even as the move was challenged, prices in West Bengal crashed indeed, only to make the commodity costlier elsewhere.
Though the ban has been now relaxed by allowing a fixed quota to be sent to a few neighbouring states, supply of potatoes in several parts of the country continues to remain squeezed. Under normal circumstances, potatoes from Bengal reach up to Chhattisgarh which borders Vidarbha region. The ban meant that potatoes were sourced from Uttar Pradesh, the other major producing centre. This has kept the rates in regions like Vidarbha high.
At Rs 35 to 40 a kg, the rates throughout the season have been double as compared to the same period last year, say traders.
Neighbouring Chhattisgarh which consumes the Bengal potatoes is now entirely depending on supplies from UP, leading to a direct impact on Maharashtra. Fresh crop from UP will only arrive in December, and that from Karnataka which was expected by this time has not reached yet, said Jaiprakash Wasani of M/s Pankaj Traders at Kalamana Nagpur.
Arup Roy, the minister for agriculture marketing in West Bengal, told TOI that his government's first priority was to ensure enough supply within the state. "Currently, a quota of 1,000 tones a day each has been set for north and south Bengal regions to export in states like Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam. We want to ensure that there is enough supply within the state itself. Any further relaxation will be made looking at the stock position here," Roy told TOI over the phone.
However, even as Roy maintained that farmers are getting a reasonable price despite the restrictions, traders say rates may soon crash in Bengal. According to Acento Debnayak of the Potato Traders Association, in his state, the rates are around Rs 16 a kg. But the market may end up with a glut if restrictions continue. He said the quota system put in place for exports has only led to corruption with permits being sold in the gray market for a premium.
A trader at Raipur in Chhattisgarh said so the ban has led to rampant smuggling of potatoes from state's border. "But that does not make it a feasible proposition as the cost of greasing the border authorities' palms increases the rates by at lest Rs 6 a kg," he said, on the condition of anonymity.
Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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