The West Bengal government is set to issue an order restricting cold storages in the State from opening before March 1 for loading potatoes. While the storage period of potatoes usually extends from March 1 to November 30, it is often seen that many cold storages start loading by mid-February.
According to Rajesh Kumar Sinha, Secretary, Department of Agricultural Marketing in West Bengal, early loading leads to immature potatoes finding their way into cold storages.
“A strict order will be issued by the State government instructing cold storages not to open before March 1,” Sinha said at the 54th annual general meeting of West Bengal Cold Storage Association here on Tuesday.
Loading of immature potatoes leads to deterioration in quality, thereby affecting the marketability of the produce.
