Potato News from West Bengal

Potato prices in West Bengal have firmed up by nearly 44 per cent over the last two months on the back of steady demand from other States.

Higher potato prices are reported in various states of India (Punjab, West-Bengal), offering relief (Punjab) or even a windfall (West-Bengal) for farmers.

The West-Bengal government (India) has recently abandoned its proposed potato processing unit in Hooghly's Sheoraphuli after no private company showed interest in the project.

As growth slows down and intense competition emerges from regional brands in potato chips, PepsiCo and ITC are shifting their focus more towards newer and healthier forms of packaged snacks, the market for which is growing at twice the speed.

Even though the ban by West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on sale of potatoes to other states over the past three years has been lifted, cases of farmer suicides, which some say may have been driven by the fear of heavy losses, are still being reported.

A bumper crop, coupled with weak demand from other States, has led to a free-fall in potatoes prices in West Bengal.

Domestic potato production in India in the present Rabi season is likely to be 25-30 per cent higher over last year on account of good weather conditions.

Potato supply from West Bengal was disrupted again with the authorities of the neighbouring state re-imposing transport restrictions from today (August 24, 2014), a week after Trinamool Congress (TMC) government there relaxed movement of this vegetable variety to Odisha.

The future of the West Bengal government's proposed potato flakes processing unit at Sheoraphuli in Hooghly district seems to be uncertain with no private company ready to invest in the facility so far.

To prevent rising prices of potato in the state, the West Bengal government has decided to continue a ban on its transportation to other states and abroad until normal situation was restored.

Potato prices are rising in North India due to a lack of supply

ITC Ltd's operating profit from its fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) business excluding cigarettes jumped three-and-a-half times to Rs 43 crore during the January-March quarter from Rs 11.87 crore in the corresponding period a year ago

Potato production in West Bengal is likely to be lower by 10-15 per cent on ‘late blight’ in a quarter of the growing districts.

Bending over backwards following pressure from other states and agitations by traders' associations there, the West Bengal government Monday relaxed its ban on export of potatoes

The West Bengal government (India) would revamp the ailing potato seeds institute at Kalimpong to keep its supply line intact for the benefit of farmers in the state without depending on Punjab or Haryana.

The West Bengal government Monday announced it will release six lakh tonnes of potatoes to arrest spiralling prices before the coming festive season.

A centre of the Shimla-based Central Potato Research Institute (CPRI) will be set up in West Bengal's West Midnapur district to make quality potato seeds favourable to the state's climatic condition available to the farmers.

The Rs 2000-crore SPS Group, with interests in steel, hotels and biscuits among other things, has taken over a potato flakes project set up by Apurba Saha's Pailan group, another diversified outfit that is into education, aviation, township developmen...