Restrictions imposed on export of potato from West Bengal have been relaxed further as the state government today allowed 700 tonnes of tuber to Odisha, Jharkhand and Assam per day.
Of the 700 tonnes of potato allowed for export, 400 tonnes would be sent to Odisha, 100 tonnes to Jharkhand and 200 tonnes to Assam following a request from those state governments, Agriculture Marketing Minister Arup Roy said.
Barring this relaxation, restrictions on potato export would continue, he told reporters after a meeting of the Task Force on Price Rise chaired by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
There had been a partial relaxation of the ban on export to Odisha and Jharkhand from August 17 to August 23.
Restrictions on export of potato to other states and neighbouring countries would continue, the minister said.
The state administration has already made arrangements for sale of the seized tubers in local markets at the government regulated price of Rs 14 per kg for the Jyoti variety.
Besides the clampdown on potato export, the state government has also fixed a ceiling for potato stock in both wholesale and retail markets to prevent hoarding.
"At present there is a stock of 26 lakh tonnes of potato in the cold storage, of which 21 lakh tonne will be required for consumption till December and five Lakh Tonnes for seeds," Roy said.
However, the Secretary of the Forum of Traders Organisation West Bengal, Rabindranath Koley, said it would not be possible to lower the price of potato (Jyoti variety) below Rs 22 a kg in retail markets.
