WB Govt urges Centre to waive loans to affected potato farmers

The West Bengal government today urged the Centre to either waive or reduce loans taken by potato farmers from different banks, as they were forced to make distress sales of their produce because of bumper crops this year.
"In a letter, we have urged the Centre to either waive or reduce loans taken by the potato farmers, as they are forced to make distress sales of their produce. We had written earlier too in this regard," state Agriculture Minister Purnendu Bose said.
Briefing media after a meeting of the Task Force on Market Price, convened by the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, Bose said that the letter had been taken to reduce the burden of the affected farmers.

The state had produced 1.15 crore tonnes of potato this year against the state's demand of 55 to 60 lakh tonnes for consumption, Bose said.
In a separate letter, the state government has also demanded a compensation of Rs 70 crore from the Centre for the damage of crops over 50,596 hectars of land in 15 districts in hailstorm, Bose said.
"If the compensation is sanctioned, it will be distributed among the affected districts through Disaster Management department.

Meanwhile, the state government was considering to enhance transport subsidy further for export of potato to other states.
"Already five lakh tonnes of potato have been sent to other states. Besides, the state government have purchased 50,000 tonnes of potato directly from the farmers for mid-day meals and to meet the needs of the ICDS," the minister said.

Stating that the production of mango was likely to be upto the expectation, Bose said that transport subsidy would also be given to mango exporters.
To reduce the price of eggs, the state government has also waived one per cent levy on poultry feed, Bose said.