Demanding just and equitable prices for their produce and urging the government to buy back their produce at Rs1,000 per 100 kgs, West Bengal potato farmers are all set to blockade all the state and national highways on March 11. The movement for just prices for potato produce comes after potato prices fell to Rs 5/kg in some districts.
All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) secretary (West Bengal unit) Amal Halder warned that the potato prices crisis might lead to more farmers being burdened with debt: "The condition is alarming. Still, the government is doing nothing about it. We have seen how the Modi government bowed down before the farmers' movement and repealed the three farm laws. The Trinamool Congress government is only following the Central government. On March 11, the whole state will come to a stop because we will create road embargoes throughout to protest on this issue. Alongside, we will give deputations to panchayat offices at village and block levels.”
Halder also demanded immediate steps to augment cold storage facilities for storing potatoes. He outlined that, per the state government's estimates, around 120,000 tons of potato can be produced.
[ Rs100 = €1.10 ]
Source: newsclick.in