Volume-XII, Special Issue, April 2026 |
Socio-Economic Dynamics of Potato Cultivation in Hooghly District, West Bengal: Agrarian Change, Market Volatility, Smallholder Vulnerability, and Sustainability Dr. Mou Shaw, SACT, Department of Geography, Raja Rammohun Roy Mahavidyalaya, Radhanagar, West Bengal, India |
Received: 03.04.2026 | Accepted: 09.04.2026 | Published Online: 10.04.2026 | Page No: 262-273 | ||||
DOI: 10.29032/ijhsss.vol.12.issue.specialW.290 | |||||||
ABSTRACT | ||
Potato has become one of the most important cash crops in Hooghly district, West Bengal and at the same time it has become the only source of subsistence of many small and marginal farmers of the district. This paper analyses the socio-economic dynamics of potato cultivation in Hooghly district with a special emphasis on the production scenario, cultivation practices, storage, market fluctuation and ecological degradation. The paper has been prepared on the basis of both primary and secondary data. Primary data have been collected through field survey among 200 potato growing farmers of the selected blocks of Hooghly district. Secondary data have been collected from government reports and records, district statistical hand book, peer reviewed scholarly papers and some of the earlier works of the author. The results show that though the area under potato has increased in Hooghly district due to congenial agro-ecological environment, assured irrigation facilities, better road connectivity and availability of cold storages, yet the industry is facing some serious problems like higher cost of cultivation, excessive use of chemical fertilizers, unequal market powers, fluctuating market price, etc. Small and marginal farmers are in the most vulnerable position as they do not have access to affordable credit, cold storage facilities and marketing power. The paper has also discussed about some environmental issues like declining soil fertility, excessive use of pesticides and ecological imbalance. The paper concludes that although potato cultivation is economically viable in Hooghly district, its sustainability is highly dependent on the governmental support policies, market price, institutional credits and environmental friendly farming practices. | ||
Keywords: potato cultivation, Hooghly district, small farmers, market volatility, sustainability, West Bengal, agricultural geography |