The association of potato traders on Wednesday decided to call off their strike that started on Monday following a meeting with state agricultural marketing minister Becharam Manna who assured them that the government would consider their issue of interstate trade of the essential vegetable.

“The association agreed to end their strike after a round of discussion in today’s meeting. As the strike is called off, there will be no crisis of potatoes in the market. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee is human and she would certainly take care of the issues of the traders,” said Manna, the agricultural marketing minister.

Paschim Banga Pragatishil Aloo Byabosayee Samity, the only association of potato merchants in Bengal called an indefinite strike resulting in a crisis in the retail market against the state government’s decision to completely ban interstate trade.

“The minister asked us to write to the chief minister Mamata Banerjee about our problem that occurred following banning transportation beyond Bengal. We explained to the minister that despite selling the potatoes outside Bengal, the state would not have any crisis as the variety of the vegetables sold in other states is completely different,” said Bibhas Dey, advisor of the potato traders association.

A section of potato traders especially from Burdwan, Birbhum and Murshidabad, who attended the meeting claimed that if the state continued the ban on interstate trade they would face a huge loss.

“Farmers from many districts cultivated the K22 variety of potato which is consumed by other states like Assam, Odisha and Chattisgarh. That particular variety of potatoes have no demand in Bengal and it is additional to Bengal’s annual requirement,” said a potato trader from Murshidabad.

Mamata had recently wanted stern measures to crack down on spiralling prices of potatoes and ordered the release of the produce from cold stores.

Members of the government’s task forces on essential commodities visited markets and checked the prices of vegetables.