According to reports, over five lakh hectares of land in West Bengal is under potato cultivation and about 10 lakh families are involved in the production.
| Photo Credit: The Hindu
Ahead of the Assembly polls in the State the president of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) West Bengal unit Samik Bhattacharya on Thursday (March 26, 2026) highlighted agrarian distress and claimed that at least five farmers have died by suicide in West Bengal.
Addressing a press conference at the State BJP president’s office, Mr. Bhattacharya read out names of potato and mango farmers who have died by suicide between February and March 2026.
“These are not isolated incidents; throughout the State farmers are committing suicides. Potato farmers are not getting the proper price of their produce. The reason is the faulty policies of the Trinamool Congress government, by which it is trying to control the market by not allowing potato to go to other States,” Mr. Bhattacharya said.
The State has registered a bumper crop of potato this season but the price of the tuber has crashed. According to reports, over five lakh hectares of land in West Bengal is under potato cultivation and about 10 lakh families are involved in the production. The production of potato last year was about 110 lakh tonnes which is expected to cross 130 lakh tonnes this year.
Three potato farmers have allegedly died by suicide in the first two weeks of March from Hooghly, Paschim Bardhaman and Paschim Medinipur district. In some areas the prices have dropped by ₹200 to ₹250 per quintal (100kgs). For the past several weeks farmers have been resorting to distress sales of potato crops.
The BJP leader said that the distress of potato farmers has been increased by the West Bengal government policy of stopping potatoes from going to other States. The West Bengal government has recently issued a directive asking cold storage owners to procure potatoes directly from farmers, but many cold storage owners say it is difficult to implement. The Trinamool Congress government had in the past stopped potato supply to other States when prices had increased in the local market resulting in supply chain disruptions.
The BJP is trying to amplify the agrarian distress ahead of Assembly polls in the State and said that people will respond to the faulty policies of the Trinamool Congress in the upcoming elections.
The Trinamool Congress, which came to power in 2011 riding on the wave of protests against forcible land acquisition, has always denied reports of any agrarian distress or farmer suicides. West Bengal will vote in two phases on April 23 and April 29. The votes will be counted on May 4.
This article contains references to suicide and mental health issues. Those in distress may contact Sanjivini, Society for Mental Health suicide prevention helpline: 011-40769002.
Published – March 27, 2026 03:42 am IST
