Rows of unsold potato sacks in Chandpur’s cold storages reflect a season of deepening losses, turning what was once a lucrative crop into a source of financial despair for thousands of farmers.
In local markets, old potatoes are fetching as little as Tk 7–8 per kilogram, well below production and storage costs, leaving farmers with little incentive to withdraw their stored produce, locals said.
Outstanding dues for seed potatoes purchased on credit last season remain unpaid, while storage fees continue to accumulate, they said.
Agriculture officials said the district’s 56,860 potato farmers are concentrated mainly in Chandpur Sadar, Matlab South, and Kachua upazilas, where some 5,000 hectares are under potato cultivation.
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Despite the market downturn, they said, planting continues, though many farmers have scaled back their operations in response to last season’s losses.
“The absence of syndicates this season has kept potato prices low,” said Mobarak Hossain, officer at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).
“Last season, syndicates pushed prices up to Tk 80 per kilogram. That situation does not exist this year,” he said.
The ripple effect is felt throughout the supply chain. Cold storage operators in Kachua upazila are struggling as farmers hesitate to withdraw their produce.
Mangal Khan and Yasin Mia, managers of local facilities, said that with market prices so low, even selling the stored potatoes fails to cover storage costs.
A bumper harvest last season exacerbated the problem. Good-quality old potatoes now sell for Tk 8–10 per kg, while new potatoes are priced around Tk 20 per kg. Farmers who invested heavily are counting losses.
“I produced 100 maunds of potatoes and made no profit at all—everything turned into a loss,” said Bachchu Miji, a grower and trader at Bakila Bazar in Hajiganj upazila. Others, including farmers from Shah Mahmudpur in Chandpur Sadar, echoed his frustration.
Hanif Patwary, whose 33 sacks of potatoes stored at Baborhat BSCIC cold storage sold for just Tk 3,000 per 50 kg sack, said, “After suffering such losses, I will not cultivate potatoes again.”
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The situation is mirrored in Kachua upazila, where more than half of stored potatoes remain in cold storage past the usual withdrawal period of November–December, frustrating both farmers and storage operators.
Meanwhile, the prices of other vegetables have also softened. Beans, snake beans, bitter gourd, and carrots now sell at Tk 60 per kg, and tomatoes at Tk 40 per kg, down from Tk 90–120 per kg just two weeks ago.
Despite the downturn, potato planting continues in Chandpur Sadar, Haimchar, Kachua, and Matlab upazilas, with some farmers reducing cultivation areas due to past losses.
Shamsul Islam of Bagadi and Ismail Hossain and Suruj Mia of Dhanpardi said they planted on smaller plots, wary of another season of poor returns.
New potatoes arriving from Munshiganj have further driven prices down, falling sharply from Tk 70 to Tk 20 per kg, boosting consumer demand. Currently, 5 kg of new potatoes sell for Tk 100, while 10 kg of old potatoes go for Tk 50–60.
Chandpur’s 10 operational cold storages are holding 80,169 tonnes of potatoes against a maximum capacity of 80,250 tonnes, according to Mobarak Hossain.
Abu Taher, Deputy Director of DAE Chandpur, said the cultivation target for the current season has been set at 7,200 hectares, down 1,000 hectares from last year, citing farmers’ discouragement and mounting debts.
“Farmers are naturally drawn to crops that guarantee fair prices. While about 4,000 hectares are already under potatoes, the focus is shifting to crops that ensure financial returns,” he said.
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For Chandpur’s potato farmers and storage operators, the coming months will be critical, as the market continues to weigh on livelihoods and investment decisions, according to the officials.