Overview
- Output is projected at 140–150 lakh tonnes in 2025–26, the highest in five years, after favourable weather and slightly higher acreage.
- Around 72 lakh tonnes are already in cold storage as average prices near Rs 600 per quintal undercut the Rs 900 MSP, prompting losses exceeding Rs 2,200 crore.
- Legal exports to Bangladesh have been largely halted on the Petrapole–Benapole route, and high supply from North Bengal has saturated nearby markets such as Assam.
- West Bengal has roughly 580 cold storages with 70–80 lakh tonnes of capacity, raising the risk of a space crunch as harvesting continues through March.
- The Cold Storage Association seeks transport subsidies, buyer–seller meets, inclusion in PDS and mid-day meals, an export push, and rental revisions, with a meeting set with the minister on February 18.