Billions of rupees are leaving the state of Assam every year, importing food stuffs, even though 70 percent of the state's population is made up of farmers. According to recent estimates, the annual demand for potatoes in the state is around 4 mln tons.
The production of potatoes in the state is around 1.1 mln tons. The bulk of the potato comes to Assam from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Andhra Pradesh, besides a meagre quantity from Meghalaya. Potato import costs the state around Rs 4,5 bln (€54 mln) annually.
