March 10, 2017
Ratna De Nag speaks on the need for subsidies for potato growers
FULL TRANSCRIPT
Thank you very much Sir.
Potato growers in Bengal and some other States like Uttar Pradesh and Bihar are facing difficulties as their produce is sold at half the price. With the result they are incurring huge losses; they are not deriving any profit in spite of toiling in the farm to produce potatoes. There is an urgent need to provide subsidy to the potato growers as the Union Government extended subsidy to the rice growers.
To give an example how potato growers is undertaking hard times: 1 bigha of land = 1600 square yards; whatever they are spending they are not able earn profit. On the other hand they are losing Rs 2000 to Rs 10000. If efforts are not taken by the Central Government they would find it difficult to make both ends meet.
I would like to ask the Union Government to make measures to come to the rescue of the potato growers at this hour of despair and helplessness.
