Price crash drives Bengal potato farmers into distress

Falling potato prices lead to farmer distress in Bengal, resulting in tragic deaths and political blame ahead of elections.

Three years of mounting losses in potato farming have pushed the family of Minakshi Ghose, a farmer from Kalna in West Bengal’s Purba Bardhaman district, into distress.

She said her father-in-law, 78-year-old Sailen Ghose, died by suicide about two weeks ago, allegedly after he failed to sell his potato crop, leaving the family in debt of ₹20 lakh. “We have had to sell potato sacks (50 kg each) for ₹110 when the production cost is at least ₹350. I cultivated over 16 bighas of potatoes. No one has stood by us,” she said. Potatoes lie scattered in the courtyard of their house, with no buyers in sight.  

“I have already lost everything. What is the point of speaking about it? You cannot bring back my father,” said Mr. Ghose’s son, who did not want to be named. Struggling to cope with both personal loss and mounting debt, he sees no way out to sustain his household.

Death of three farmers between February and March has been linked to falling potato prices in the State, turning the incidents into a major issue ahead of the State Assembly election.

Across Kalna, fields are strewn with potatoes as farmers abandon their produce with no scope to sell or store.  | Photo Credit: Shrabana Chatterjee

This year, the districts of Purba Bardhaman, Hooghly and Paschim Medinipur in the southern part of the State saw a bumper potato crop. The high yield led to wholesale prices crashing rapidly, leaving many farmers across the region in distress.