The plight of the potato farmers in Gujarat has assumed serious proportion as potatoes have gone too cheap on the market. Urgent steps need to be taken to prevent the price from falling further or else the potato cultivators in the state would be in a serious crisis.
It is in this context that the Gujarat potato producing farmers ‘ cooperative committee has urged the central govt to provide them with a financial help of Rs.700 crore. They have appealed to the central agriculture minister Sharad Pawar for an immediate financial intervention.
As the price has registered a steep fall, most of the potatoes are either rotting or being used as cattle feed. The potato farmers have also asked for deferment of their bank loans. They have declared their inability to pay off the loans pending against them.