Bhubaneswar, March 24 (IANS) The Odisha government will commence procurement of the potato crop in 11 districts of the state in view of distress sales of the tuber by farmers, Food and Consumer Welfare Minister Sanjay Dasburma assured the state assembly on Tuesday.
"In order to create a buffer stock for potatoes, Markfed and Udyan Fresh have been asked to procure potatoes. While the procurement has already started in Bargarh district, arrangements are being made for it in other districts," said Dasburma.
Earlier, the assembly witnessed uproar on the issue with opposition members demanding that the government inform the house about steps it was taking to resolve the issue.
The potato issue rocked the assembly on Tuesday, forcing the speaker to adjourn the house twice.
The potato glut in the state forcing farmers to resort to distress sales follows an acute shortage of the tuber in the state in July-August 2014. The state government had then provided Rs.300 crore for Potato Mission to promote cultivation of the tuber in Odisha.
The scenario has changed in barely a few months. Sensing better returns, farmers grew more potatoes, but there are now no takers, leading to distress sales.
Agriculture, cooperation and food and consumer welfare ministers discussed about procurement of the staple food from farmers, who are selling their products at lower cost as there is lack of storage facilities.
The government-procured potatoes would be stored with Markfed and other private players, Dasburma said expressing confidence that the distress sale of potatoes would be over within two days.
Cooperation Minister Damodar Rout said a total of 6,600 tonnes of potatoes will be procured from farmers. But the state has no sufficient cold storage facilities to stock them, he added.
Rout said six cold storages were functional at present and the government was taking steps to operate the remaining 12 cold storages in the state by next year.
The government took steps to promote potato cultivation after facing an acute shortage of potatoes last year after the West Bengal government imposed curbs on potato export.
Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde has taken a jibe at the arrest of Shiv Sena's Rajya Sabh
Delhi Capitals will consider the match against Punjab Kings as a knockout match, the bowler claimed
Delhi Capitals (DC) spinner Kuldeep Yadav has said that his team is treating their upcoming match
TV and Doordarshan have a similar history in India. Doordarshan started in Delhi on 15 September
Thousands of Rohingya Muslims have made their way into the interior of India from the north-easte
Testing crossed 11 million, this time the lowest 4.7 million cases were found on one crore Samples
New cases of corona in the country are declining. The testing figure has crossed 11 million. This
Cabinet approves signing deal with US on tax compliance
New Delhi, March 17 (IANS) The union cabinet on Tuesday approved the signing of an inter-govern
The level of pollution in the country's capital Delhi is continuously increasing. Delhi Environme
Alleging irregularities in the RRB-NTPC result, the candidates created a ruckus at various places
PM Modi said a big thing: India was ready to provide food to the world, waiting for WTO permission
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said he has offered to supply India's food reserves to th
Amidst the G-20 summit, the weather patterns changed in 21 states including the national capital.
