Farmers in Bengal are facing a severe crisis as they are being forced to sell their stored potatoes at a staggering loss – sometimes as much as Rs 5 per kilogram. The distress is mounting across key potato-producing districts, with both farmers and small traders appealing to the state government for immediate intervention.Back in March, when potatoes were harvested and sent to cold storages, the average procurement price stood at Rs 1,000 to Rs 1,100 per quintal. Just four months later, that price has plummeted to as low as Rs 600, and in some cases, even Rs 500 per quintal.“Never in my life have I seen such low prices for cold-stored potatoes in July,” said Bitan Ghose, a potato farmer from Sonatapal village under Onda Block in Bankura district. Ghose, who stored 600 quintals in Sankarhati Kundu Cold Storage, sold some of his stock on Monday for Rs 600 per quintal. “We fear the price will drop even further. How will we survive?” he said.The crisis is not limited to Bankura. In Bhandarhati village of Dhaniakhali block in Hooghly district – Bengal’s highest potato-producing region – farmers are echoing the same concerns.“We never received any minimum support price at the beginning of the harvest season,” said Raghunath Poliyan. a resident of Bhandarhati, under Dhaniyakhali block, Hooghly district. “We were forced to sell to middlemen at low rates.” Fellow farmer, Nilratan Das, adds that the government had announced it would procure potatoes at Rs 900 per quintal, but no procurement ever took place. “After the announcement was made, market prices had reached Rs 1,100, yet the government didn’t buy. And many of us avoided the government procurement camps due to their complicated procedures,” Das explained.With few options left, most farmers decided to store their unsold potatoes in cold storages.Bitan Ghose. Raghunath Poliyan and Nilratan Das at the Kundu cold storage in Bankura. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.Atanu Sarkar from Kathali village in Goghat block cultivated potatoes on four bighas of land. He managed to sell 55 quintals at Rs 700 per quintal after harvest, but still has 14 quintals, which he is unable to sell, stored.The crisis has also engulfed small-scale potato traders. “There are over one lakh potato traders in the state whose livelihood depends entirely on the trade,” said Lalmohan Mukherjee, secretary of the Progotishil Aalu Byabsayi Committee (progressive potato sellers’ committee).Dilip Garai, a trader from Lalbazar in Bankura, described the situation. “We take loans from moneylenders or cold storage owners to buy potatoes from farmers. This year, we are wiped out. We are not recovering even a penny of what we invested,” he said. “The days ahead are terrifying. How will we feed our families? How will we repay our debts?”Atanu Sarkar in his house at Kanthali village, Hooghly. Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.Cold storage owners, too, fear mounting losses. “At this rate, many stored potatoes may never be taken out,” said Tapan Kundu, owner of Kundu Cold Storage. “Even we won’t be able to collect rent for the stored produce.”What is causing the crisis?Uttar Pradesh is India’s top potato producer, followed by West Bengal. This year, Bengal saw an unprecedented potato harvest – estimated at 1.10 crore tonnes – thanks to favourable weather conditions. According to state data, the state usually produces around 90 to 100 lakh tonnes annually, grown over approximately 4.7 lakh hectares.Major potato-producing districts include Hooghly, Purba and Paschim Bardhaman, Bankura, Paschim Medinipur, and others like Nadia, Howrah, Birbhum, Murshidabad, Jhargram, Alipurduar, and Uttar Dinajpur. Varieties such as Jyoti, Pokhraj, Hemangini, S-6, Chandramukhi, and K-22 are commonly cultivated, with Jyoti enjoying the highest demand.“This year, after the initial sale in the open market, around 7.4 million metric tonnes of potatoes were stored in 480 cold storages across the state between February and March,” said Lalmohan Mukherjee. He pointed out that Bengal’s domestic consumption stands at about six million metric tonnes annually. “So where will the surplus five million tonnes go?”‘This year, after the initial sale in the open market, around 7.4 million metric tonnes of potatoes were stored in 480 cold storages across the state between February and March.’ Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.Multiple farmers and traders argue that a key factor exacerbating the crisis is the state government’s earlier restrictions on interstate potato exports. “Over the past two years, government restrictions have blocked potatoes from reaching markets in Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha. Huge quantities were wasted because of bureaucratic hurdles,” said Bibhas Ghose, a trader from Kotulpur in Bankura.Though the borders are open this year, Bengal potatoes are still not finding their way to neighbouring states. “Potatoes from Uttar Pradesh and Punjab are already supplying those markets,” said trader Jayanta Patra. “Bengal’s produce is being left behind, and prices are collapsing.”Farmers like Naimuddin Mandal from Memari (Purba Bardhaman) and Manik Ray from Hijoldiha (Bankura) lament that many potatoes stored last year rotted due to non-payment of rent or lack of buyers. This year appears no different. “We’re paying Rs 208 per quintal just to keep potatoes in cold storage. If market prices remain this low, what can we possibly do?” asked a distressed Mandal.According to multiple sources, the total cost of cultivation now hovers around Rs 32,000 per bigha. Many farmers took loans from cooperative banks or private lenders. With their produce unsold and debts mounting, the situation has turned critical.‘If the government doesn’t act now, both farmers and small traders will be destroyed.’ Photo: Madhu Sudan Chatterjee.Plea to the governmentFarmers like Bitan Ghose and trade representatives like Lalmohan Mukherjee are urging the government to step in. “Earlier this year, the government had announced that it would buy up to 35 quintals of potatoes per farmer at Rs 900 per quintal. But that procurement never happened. If the government doesn’t act now, both farmers and small traders will be destroyed,” said Mukherjee.When contacted by The Wire, Debkumar Sarkar, deputy director of agriculture, said, “We will announce what steps the government will take soon.”Meanwhile, even daily wage workers at cold storages are losing employment. “Farmers and traders are barely coming to retrieve their produce. Our work has dropped, and so has our income,” said a worker from a cold storage facility near Arambagh.When The Wire reached out to Bankura district agriculture officer Deb Kumar Basu for comment, he stated that he was in a meeting and directed us to speak with the agri-marketing officer. However, despite repeated attempts, the agri-marketing officer could not be reached.