Kolkata: The West Bengal government has issued a blanket ban on importing seed potatoes, particularly from Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir owing to presence of potato Cyst Nernatode (globodera rostochinensis & G. Pallaid).
The notification from the department of agriculture ( Nabanna) was issued on November 2 last following a warning from the Union Agriculture and Farmers department on October 10 prohibiting movement of seed potato from the states of TN, Uttarakhand, HP and J & K to all other states and union territories due to the above mentioned disease.
” West Bengal being a major potato producing state and a potion of seed potato being brought in from outside the state boundaries, this is a serious cause of concern” ,the notification from Nabanna said.
The notification directed all seed inspectors of the state to strictly adhere to the restriction of prohibiting movement of seed potato from the said four states into Bengal territory.
” Local civil and police administration will extend their cooperation in implementing the restriction of movement of seed potato with special thrust on interstate check points across the state” UNI reported, .
