Bengal cabinet gives nod to fix Rs 900 per quintal as MSP for potatoes

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday said that the state cabinet gave its approval to fix Rs 900 per quintal as the minimum support price for potatoes. "We have decided to fix the new minimum support price (MSP) for potatoes at Rs 900 per quintal to help the farmers. This will also ensure that they do not have to resort to distress sale of their produce," Banerjee said at a press conference at the state secretariat in Kolkata. She also said that her government will give a total Rs 321 crore as compensation under crop insurance scheme to the farmers whose crops have been damaged due to rains. She also said that the state government has decided to purchase that affected potato from the farmer to ensure that they do not face any loss. “The state government has created a corpus of Rs 321 crore for providing crop insurance to the farmers. State government has already purchased potatoes which were damaged due to rains from the farmers. More potatoes will be procured and the stock will be diverted to the Sufal Bangla stalls. The decision was taken to help the farmers and potato growers overcome distress,” Banerjee said.

Smt. @MamataOfficial is committed to ensuring that Bengal’s farmers never face hardship.

The state has set a Minimum Support Price of ₹900 per quintal for potato procurement

GoWB will purchase rain-damaged potatoes and sell them through Sufal Bangla stalls

₹321… pic.twitter.com/wn9wCc6ZFo

— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) February 25, 2025

The Bengal government has already started disbursing crop insurance cover to 9 lakh farmers in the state under ‘Bangla Shasya Bima’ (BSB) scheme. The financial assistance will be given to the farmers whose crops have been damaged due to adverse weather. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on social media last month had announced that her government started releasing funds. She also criticised the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) for releasing water without informing her government and thus damaging the crops (potatoes) in the fields.