Potato price shoots up in Jharkhand as West Bengal 'restricts' supply

Ranchi/ Dhanbad: The price of potato has shot up by Rs 5 a kg in Jharkhand's retail market in the past two days after neighbouring West Bengal reportedly restricted the supply of the tuber, an official said on Saturday.

In a bid to maintain the stock and keep the price of potato under control, the West Bengal government has allegedly put a restriction on interstate supply of the tuber, according to a potato traders' association in West Bengal.

West Bengal meets 60 per cent of Jharkhand's potato demand round the year, while the rest of the demand is met by Uttar Pradesh, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and local production.

"Around 50-55 trucks, each containing 20-22 tonnne of potato, arrive in Jharkhand from West Bengal. We were informed that the trucks were stopped at Bengal check posts from Thursday, which fuelled the prices of potato in wholesale as well as retail markets from Friday in the state," Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC), Jamshedpur, secretary Abhishek Anand told PTI.

He said that the production of locally grown potatoes was delayed by a month this year, which has also impacted the prices. "The supply from other states is going on as usual," he said.

Jharkhand BJP president Babulal Marandi on Saturday urged the newly elected Hemant Soren-led government to hold a talk with the West Bengal government to deal with the situation, as people of the state are already suffering with the rising prices of potato.

Former president and advisor of West Bengal Progressive Potato Traders Association (WBPPTA), Bibhas Kumar Dey, told PTI over phone, "The West Bengal police have increased vigilance on bordering areas in a bid to curb export of potatoes to other states. Hundreds of potato-laden trucks were sent back during these checks since Wednesday evening. The move is causing a huge loss to the traders."

He said that they would hold a meeting on Saturday to find out a solution to the problem. According to WBPPTA, the production of potatoes in West Bengal was around 1.2 crore tonne in 2023 against the annual average production of around 1 crore tonne a year.

In Ranchi’s retail market, the Bengal variety of potato, which was sold at Rs 32-35 a kg on Friday, is being sold at Rs 35-40 per kg depending on the quality on Saturday.

The same potato is being sold for around Rs 35 a kg in retail market of Dhanbad city. The potato traders in Dhanbad said that after the restriction in West Bengal, they are fulfilling the demand from Uttar Pradesh.

Expressing concern about the development, Jharkhand BJP chief Babulal Marandi said that the decision of the West Bengal government has raised the concern of inflation in the state.

"Hundreds of trucks carrying potatoes from West Bengal to Jharkhand are being sent back. Only a few days' stock is left in the vegetable market. Due to low supply, the prices of potatoes are skyrocketing and they are disappearing from the kitchens of common people," Marandi posted on X.

He further said, "I request Chief Minister Hemant Soren to immediately talk to the chief minister of West Bengal to solve this problem and ensure adequate supply of potatoes in Jharkhand so that the people of the state can get relief from rising inflation."