WB: Potato Growers to Block Roads on March 11
Subinoy Moulik
THE AIKS West Bengal state committee has called for an intense movement by blocking national and state highways on March 11 to force the state government to buy potatoes at a fair price. For this, a massive campaign has been started among farmers in districts. The leaders of the AIKS West Bengal state committee have said that there is no other way to save the farmers from committing suicide due to the potato crisis.
AIKS had already expressed its apprehension about the crisis of potato farmers and demanded the intervention of the state government. But the government, as usual, has turned a deaf ear so far. As a result, the farmers have started preparing to intensify the movement to survive. The road blockade programme was finalised in the state council meeting of AIKS. All India vice president of AIKS Hannan Mollah, who was present at the meeting, said, “We have to build a united movement on the basis of the issues that are affecting us the most. All who want to come to the fight must be taken in without any prejudice. This is what the farmers’ movement that forced the Modi government to withdraw the three farm laws has taught us.”
THE CRISIS
The crisis of the state’s potato farmers has brought their plight to the fore. Opportunities for profitable rates are diminishing. At the rate at which the prices are falling, there is no possibility of recovering even the cost of cultivation. In the direction the situation is going, Bengal’s potato fields are practically waiting for catastrophe. Currently, the price of potatoes in the state is less than Rs 5 per kg. Prices have fallen more in North Bengal than in South Bengal. In Cooch Behar, the price of farmers’ field potatoes has come down to two and a half rupees per kg.
The potatoes that are being grown now will not go to the cold storage and will be sold in the open market. But from the first week of March, potatoes will come in plenty at a massive rate from the potato growing areas of South Bengal. Farmers fear that the price will then fall further.
The potato growers claim that the government should collect potatoes at a rate of at least Rs 900 to Rs 1,000 per quintal to prevent any distress sale. At the same time, arrangements should be made for the export of potatoes to other states and abroad, potato-based industries should be developed, potato farmers should be given priority in storing potatoes in cold storage, and the issue of contract farmers should also be added. On this demand, there will be a movement by blocking national and state highways on March 11.
GOVERNMENT APATHY NEEDS RESISTANCE
Amal Halder, secretary of the AIKS West Bengal state committee, said, “Potato farmers are facing terrible losses. The government is yet to announce any effective action. In the interests of potato farmers, therefore, the government will be made to buy potatoes by announcing the minimum support price of potatoes. We shall send this message by blocking national highways and state highways across the state.”
Kisan leaders from East Bardhaman spelt out the depth and extent of the crisis more elaborately. “Now there is no one to buy potatoes from the field. It is the cold storage owners and traders who buy potatoes. They don’t want to buy potatoes because of the losses they faced last year.”
Once, potatoes used to go from West Bengal to states like Odisha, Bihar, Jharkhand and even Andhra Pradesh. That potato market has now shrunk. This happened because in the past the Mamata Banerjee government had stopped sending potatoes from the state to other states. This suicidal decision of the government has affected the potato market. Potatoes of the state no longer go outside. However, in the current year, according to the initial estimate of the Agricultural Marketing Department of the government of West Bengal, there may be about 120 lakh tons of potato production. The total storage capacity of potatoes in the cold storage facilities is 64 lakh tons. As a result, normally potato growers will have no choice but to sell almost half of the potatoes produced in the open market. Here lies the fear of the farmers. The prices will come down only when potatoes are picked up from the potato producing districts of South Bengal in large numbers from the beginning of March. The AIKS has resolved to build a strong movement in the state in the coming days on this issue.
An official of the Agricultural Marketing department said, “In the agricultural economy, we do not usually pay attention to the psychological struggle that the farmer faces. There is no price for potatoes, so the farmer starts to accept the fact that he is not getting the price in advance. This is where the role of government is important. When the government announces to buy potatoes from the farmers, it ultimately benefits the farmers.”
But the financial situation in the state is now so dire that the government is yet to take any decision on buying potatoes from the farmers. The 100 days’ work project in villages has remained suspended for the past one year. As a result, the helpless situation of the farm labourers is despicable. Then, if one of the major cash crops, namely potato, is drawn into disaster, its consequences are going to be more terrible. So, it is time to protest and bring the government to its senses. March 11 shall mark a turning point.
