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Updated January 16th, 2022 at 23:06 IST

Delay in potato sowing due to unseasonal rain in Bengal casts shadow over Rs 7,000-8,000cr crop harvest

Sowing of potato in West Bengal got delayed by around 25 days due to unseasonal rain, while farmers are keeping their fingers crossed about the harvest of the crop worth Rs 7,000-8,000-crore at current prices, an expert said on Sunday.

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Sowing of potato in West Bengal got delayed by around 25 days due to unseasonal rain, while farmers are keeping their fingers crossed about the harvest of the crop worth Rs 7,000-8,000-crore at current prices, an expert said on Sunday.

Despite the delay, the production could be satisfactory if the average minimum night temperature remains at 16-17 degrees Celcius till February, he said.

The potato production in the state was around 110 lakh tonne in 2021.

"This year, sowing of potato got delayed by 25 days due to recent rain. This was noticed in 75 per cent of potato-growing areas in the state. Several farmers had to resow. Production worth Rs 7,000-8,000 crore will depend on the weather conditions,” West Bengal Cold Storage Association former president and industry expert Patit Paban De told PTI.

Taking the current wholesale rate of potato price at Rs 10, the total crop value is estimated to be Rs 11,000 crore, he said.

“If the average minimum temperature at night is maintained at 16-17 degrees Celsius till February, we can expect decent output in the 75 per cent of the potato-growing area,” he said.

Agriculture advisor to West Bengal government Pradip Kr Mazumdar said 90 per cent of potato sowing has been completed.

Asked about Late Blight of potato plants, he said there is no major report of the disease so far.

The state agriculture department has already asked officials to visit areas that received unseasonal rain to make an assessment of crop damage and advise farmers to protect their produces from pest attacks. 

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Published January 16th, 2022 at 23:06 IST

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