West Bengal Launches Helpline for Potato Farmers to Lodge Fertilizer Complaints

The West Bengal Agriculture Department is launching a helpline number, 6291197516, to help potato farmers address fertilizer-related concerns.

 The move comes in response to the reduced availability of NPK fertilizer from the central government and reports of dealers promoting alternative varieties and charging above the Maximum Retail Price (MRP).

A Deputy Director of Agriculture (DDA) will be available to answer calls on the helpline, listen to farmers' grievances, and take necessary steps to resolve the issues.

This initiative is a response to the central government's decision to substantially reduce the subsidy on NPK fertilizer, from 22 percent to 2 percent. While the government has stressed that the MRP should not be raised, some dealers are hoarding NPK fertilizer and encouraging the use of other alternatives.

The state government is committed to addressing the problem of deceptive tagging and is vigilantly monitoring the situation across the state. It has also mandated the use of e-POS (Electronic Point of Sale) systems for fertilizer sales to enhance transparency.

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State Cooperation Minister Pradip Mazumdar and the department's secretary were also present at a meeting with key department officials, DDA personnel from potato-producing regions, and fertilizer producers and dealers at Nabanna.

Fertilizers are distributed through state cooperatives like Benfed and IFFCO. The total demand for NPK fertilizer, primarily used for potato cultivation, exceeds 5 lakh metric tonnes. In October, only 26085 metric tonnes were supplied out of an allocation of 1.5 lakh metric tonnes. As of the present date in November, only 10344 metric tonnes have been supplied against a requisition of 58800 metric tonnes.

Farmers are being advised to blend an alternative NPK variety with the primary one to ensure that their crops are not adversely affected. This alternative variety delivers similar results, albeit at a slightly higher cost.

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The Chief Secretary has recently reached out to the central government, urging them to ensure an adequate supply of fertilizer as per the allocation to safeguard potato cultivation in the state from any adverse impacts.

Major potato-producing districts in the state include Jalpaiguri, East Burdwan, Hooghly, East Midnapore, and West Midnapore.

The reduced availability of NPK fertilizer and the increased prices of alternative varieties are having a strong impact on potato farmers in West Bengal. Many farmers are struggling to afford the necessary fertilizers, and some are even being forced to reduce their cultivation area.

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