Assam: Soon Potatoes Might Go Missing from your Plate

Nearly 100 trucks loaded with potatoes have been stopped at the Assam-West Bengal border near Dhubri since Tuesday evening due to a blockade enforced by West Bengal police at the Boxirhat Check Station near Chagolia. The disruption follows a recent directive by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to halt potato exports to Assam.

Sources revealed that the Chief Minister’s ban aims to prioritize local supply amidst rising vegetable prices within West Bengal. The move is intended to ensure the state’s potato demand is met before allowing shipments to cross the state’s borders.
The prolonged wait in hot weather puts tonnes of potatoes at risk of rotting. These potatoes come from various areas of West Bengal, primarily Falakata, Cooch Behar, Dhupguri, and Mathabhanga.

Truck drivers and stakeholders are awaiting further directives from authorities to resume the shipment of potatoes. One driver from Dhupguri said, “We arrived yesterday at around 6 pm. We paid the challan for the potatoes, and they checked our vehicle. Several vehicles were stranded by then. We asked the police why we were stopped, and they said even they don’t know and would let us go if they get orders from above. We didn’t know that potato export had been stopped. All the vehicles stranded should be let go.”

According to a report by The Sentinel, “The production of potatoes in Assam is around 11 lakh tonnes. The bulk of the potato comes to Assam from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, besides a meagre quantity from Meghalaya. Potato import costs the state around Rs 4,500 crore annually. According to estimation, the annual demand for potatoes in Assam is around 40 lakh tonnes.