Late blight disease affects potato production

Kolkata, May 13 (UNI) Potato export from West Bengal will suffer this year as the late blight disease has damaged the crop and pulled the production down by almost 30 per cent.

The state, with the highest productivity of potato and second highest area under cultivation, had brought four lakh acre under cultivation this year. But the late blight disease had affected almost 85 per cent of the area under cultivation early in the year.

According to Patit Paban De, vice-president, the West Bengal Cold Storage Association, the target for this year's potato production was set at 85 lakh ton as the last year was good for potato producers.

After the damage, the state is left with around 65 lakh ton.

State's potato consumption is around 45 lakh ton, and the rest of the production is exported to parts of Assam, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Tripura. Some amount, comprising mainly the "Jyoti" variety, is exported to Madhya Pradesh and Bangalore as well.

Meanwhile, a section of farmers had started storing inferior quality potatoes, said an official at the state Agricultural Marketing department. Some of the cold storage owners had loaded more than two lakh ton of "Pokhraj" and "S6" varieties.

Water content in these two varieties is high which makes storage difficult.

Moreover, "Pokhraj" and "S6" varieties are also affected by the late blight disease, which could damage the produce even in a cold storage, said the official.

The disease is caused by water mould or fungi active in wet weather with moderate temperature and high humidity.

UNI