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A mix of steps taken by the Mamata Banerjee government has helped potato farmers in Bengal hold onto their produce till they get a fair price without falling into the trap of moneylenders or going for distress sale. With large sections of the state’s 15 lakh-odd potato farmers welcoming the initiatives of the government, such as buying stocks from peasants and issuing Kisan Credit Cards, the Trinamul Congress is hoping to reap dividends in the Assembly elections in the potato belt of Hooghly, East Burdwan, Birbhum, West Midnapore and parts of Murshidabad. At a time when Bengal’s cold storages are brimming with potatoes following a bumper crop, reports have reached the state government that 70 per cent of these stocks are owned by farmers themselves. This means that the majority of the farmers did not have to sell their produce to middlemen from the field itself. ....