The Hindu Business Line : Bengal thrust sought for potato processing industries

THE West Bengal Governor, Mr Viren J. Shah, has called upon local entrepreneurs to take the lead in setting up potato-based food processing industries. West Bengal, being a leading potato-producing State in the country, has the natural advantage to develop such industries, he felt.

Inaugurating a seminar here on Saturday on `The potato's nutritional value and its increased consumption through diversified use and export,' Mr Shah said that, as a signatory of the WTO, India was gradually throwing open the country's huge consumer goods market to the world trade, and many foreign companies had already entered the domestic market with their branded potato chips and other food products. He, therefore, felt that there was no reason why local entrepreneurs should lag behind, even in tapping the domestic market.

As the country's consumption of potato was only 45 lakh tonnes against the annual production of about 75 lakh tonnes, Mr Shah felt that there was much scope for setting up potato-based processing units for making various products like potato powder, potato starch, chips, etc.

The Governor also found the scope of setting up a chain of cold storages not only for storing potatoes but also other perishables like vegetables, dairy and poultry products. He opined that proper regulatory mechanism had to be in place to provide enough storing facility to avoid distress sale by small and marginal farmers, as these farmers were most adversely affected immediately after the post harvest period.

He said that there was a misconception among common people about potato, which is viewed as fattening food containing only carbohydrates, although besides carbohydrate, it contains protein, fat, minerals and vitamins. However, potato is still a very rich source of calories for the low-income groups. Mr Shah, therefore, felt that there had to be a proper campaign and the knowledge and information on these aspects was needed to be disseminated.

In his speech at the seminar, which was organised by the West Bengal Cold Storage Association (WBCTA), Mr Sailen Sarkar, the State's Minister in charge of the department of food processing industries and horticulture, said that his department had received two proposals with proposed investment of Rs 16.19 crore and Rs 2.9 crore for the production of potato powder/flakes in the district of Howrah, while one more proposal entailing an investment of Rs 5.3 crore for the production of French fries of potato in the district of North 24 Parganas was being processed.

Mr Sarkar said that the Union Ministry of Commerce had sanctioned the Agri Export Zone for potatoes in West Bengal covering the districts of Hooghly, Burdwan, West Midnapore and Howrah. His department would act as the nodal agency for implementation of the agri export zone.

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