Kolkata: Good news for potato farmers! Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has announced that the Minimum Support Price (MSP) for potatoes has been increased to Rs900 per quintal. She made this announcement during a press conference, where she also criticized the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing water without informing the state government. She stated that unseasonal rainfall has caused extensive crop damage.
Recently, DVC released water, leading to the submergence of agricultural land in Howrah and surrounding areas. As a result, a large portion of crops has been destroyed, with potatoes being the most affected. Addressing the media on Tuesday, CM Mamata Banerjee strongly criticized DVC, alleging that they released water without prior notice to the state government.
She further mentioned that unseasonal rainfall in recent days has caused widespread crop damage. To support affected farmers, she announced that the state government will purchase the damaged potatoes. She also revealed that the West Bengal government has created a ₹321 crore insurance fund for farmers.
In addition, the MSP for potatoes has been increased to ₹900 per quintal, which is expected to benefit farmers. Many farmers, whose fields were submerged due to the water released by DVC, have been struggling to salvage their crops. In this critical situation, the Chief Minister’s announcement has provided some relief to them.