United News of Bangladesh

Potato farmers, traders and cold storage owners in northern Bangladesh are facing steep price drops, even though the government set a Tk 22 per kilogram wholesale rate. In practice, potatoes are changing hands at Tk 12–14 per kg in cold storages, while retail prices remain at Tk 20–22. The gap has left stakeholders fearing heavy losses ahead of the arrival of new crops in late November. On Tuesday night, the Ministry of Agriculture announced a floor price of Tk 22 per kg at cold storage facilities and pledged to purchase 50,000 tonnes of potatoes. Yet farmers and traders remain sceptical about whether the pledge will be fully realised. Cold storage operators, most of whom run their businesses on loans and offer credit to growers and traders, say they are under severe financial strain. “Our storage capacity is over 200,000 tonnes but potatoes are selling well below the government-set price. If farmers do not get a fair price, we also will face huge losses,” said Obaidul Haque, proprietor of Uttamasha Cold Storage in Mithapukur upazila. Farmers point out that cultivating one hectare of potatoes costs around Tk 400,000–420,000, covering seeds, fertiliser, labour and storage fees. With yields of 20–22 tonnes, production expenses amount to Tk 26–28 per kg. At the current market price of Tk 12–14, growers are losing Tk 20–22 on every kilogram. Babul Mia and Abu Hanif, farmers from Gangachara upazila, said they had stored their potatoes in cold facilities but were unwilling to sell after buyers rejected the floor price. “We had hoped to cover costs, but now we are being forced to sell small amounts at a loss just to manage household expenses,” Babul said. Minimum price of potatoes at cold storage gates set at Tk 22 per kg Mizanur Rahman, another grower, said he had kept 1,200 sacks of potatoes in storage at a cost of Tk 22 lakh. “If I sell now, I will recover only Tk 800,000. That means a loss of Tk 14 lakh. I don’t know how to survive this,” he lamented. Wholesale dealers in Rangpur city confirm that transactions are taking place far below the government’s minimum rate. “It costs another Tk 120 per sack to transport potatoes from cold storages to warehouses. With such margins, there’s no profit left. Retailers are selling at Tk 18–20 per kg,” said wholesaler Nazrul Islam. This season, potato cultivation exceeded official projections by roughly 20,000 hectares in the Rangpur region. The Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) had set a target of 160,200 hectares, but farmers planted close to 180,000. With yields surpassing 26 tonnes per hectare, the total output in the division’s five districts reached 3.2 million tonnes. Based on prevailing market rates, stakeholders estimate losses exceeding Tk 50 billion, with every tonne incurring losses of more than Tk 20,000. “Farmers are on the brink of ruin, and cold storages are also at risk of defaulting on loans,” warned an agricultural officer. The region has 71 cold storage facilities with a combined capacity of 750,000 tonnes, but an estimated 2.2–2.4 million tonnes of potatoes remain outside, stored by farmers using traditional methods. Lalmonirhat potato farmers watch profits rotting as prices plunge Much of this stock faces spoilage in the hot weather, compelling farmers to sell at distress prices. Local authorities say they are working to steady the market. “We are monitoring markets to ensure compliance with the government-set prices,” said Rangpur Deputy Commissioner Rabiul Faisal. Deputy Commissioner Rakib echoed the assurance, noting that strict monitoring is in place. DAE Additional Director Shafiqul Islam added that authorities were striving to implement the Tk 22 floor price but admitted that ‘market realities’ posed major challenges. With early harvests expected by late November, growers warn that demand for stored potatoes will soon plummet. Govt to procure potatoes to support farmers: Adviser Unless the government’s procurement plan takes effect promptly, farmers, traders and storage owners fear they will face crippling losses and mounting debts, they said.

Despite achieving a bumper potato harvest this year, farmers in Srinagar upazila of Munshiganj district are facing severe financial losses due to low market prices.  The situation has left many growers worried, particularly as storage constraints and transportation issues add to their woes. Abundant Yield, Financial Struggles This season, potato cultivation in Srinagar upazila has covered 1,950 hectares of land, with an estimated production of 58,500 metric tonnes.  While the yield has been satisfactory, farmers are struggling to secure fair prices for their produce in the wholesale market. Wholesale potato prices currently range between Tk 15-17 per kg, while retail prices vary from Tk 22-25 per kg.  But, with the production cost per maund (approximately 37.32 kg) standing at Tk 800-900, many farmers find it difficult to sell their harvest without incurring losses. One of the primary concerns among farmers is the unavailability of sufficient cold storage facilities.  With only three operational cold storage units in the upazila, offering a combined storage capacity of 14,000 metric tonnes, many growers have been left with no option but to store their produce under the open sky.  The looming threat of rain has further heightened their anxiety, as exposure to moisture could lead to spoilage. Potato farmers in Faridpur struggle with cold storage woes amid sweltering heat Market Syndicates and Rising Costs Farmers have alleged that market syndicates are exploiting the situation.  They claim that while they were compelled to buy seeds and other agricultural inputs at inflated prices, the same syndicates are now driving down the market value of potatoes. The cultivation cost for 140 decimals (approximately 1.4 acres) of land is estimated to be around Tk 3,75,000. Though farmers had hoped to produce at least 400 maunds per 140 decimals, the actual yield has been closer to 350 maunds on average, making it even more difficult to achieve profitability. Adding to their concerns, storage space in local cold storage facilities is being occupied by potatoes brought in from other districts.  According to farmers, only a small portion of Atpara Cold Storage has been reserved for local growers, exacerbating the storage crisis. Storage and Transportation Challenges Among the three cold storages in Srinagar upazila, AN Khan Cold Storage in Sondharadia of Tantor has a capacity of 3,000 metric tonnes, Al-Amin Ice and Cold Storage in Chawkbazar has a capacity of 5,000 metric tonnes, and Srinagar Cold Storage in Atpara can store 6,000 metric tonnes of potatoes.  Potato farmers in Gaibandha suffer losses as cold storage crisis deepens Despite these facilities, a large number of farmers from eastern Srinagar, including Kukutia and Tantor, have been compelled to store their produce in cold storage units at Naopara Bazar in neighbouring Lohajang upazila. Meanwhile, labour shortages during Ramadan and ahead of Eid-ul-Fitr have added to farmers’ struggles, as hiring workers has become increasingly difficult and expensive.  Besides, the scarcity of bicycles and trolleys for transportation has made it even harder to move potatoes from remote areas to markets.  Transporting potatoes to cold storage facilities via battery-operated easy bikes now costs Tk 50-70 per sack, depending on the distance.  This year, local cold storage authorities have set a storage charge of Tk 300 per 50-kg sack. Official Response Srinagar Upazila Agriculture Officer, Mohsina Jahan Toron, acknowledged the challenges but emphasised the positive side of the season’s harvest. "Favourable weather conditions have led to a promising potato yield this year," she said.  She also said the upazila’s three operational cold storages have a combined capacity of 14,000 metric tonnes, with approximately 7,000 metric tonnes of potatoes stored so far. A Season of Uncertainty For potato farmers in Srinagar, this season has been a mix of success and struggle.  While the bumper harvest should have been a cause for celebration, low prices, storage limitations, and transportation difficulties have turned it into a season of uncertainty.  Potato farmers in Thakurgaon protest against increased rent for cold storage Many growers now face the difficult decision of whether to sell at a loss or risk their produce going to waste. As the holy month of Ramadan progresses and Eid approaches, the demand for potatoes is expected to rise.  But, unless market conditions improve and farmers receive better prices for their crops, the long-term sustainability of potato cultivation in the region remains in question.  

Bangladesh's potato yield is expected to be more than 11 million metric tonnes this year where the domestic demand is only about 7.7 million metric tonnes, according to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). As only around a quarter of the surplus can be stored for sale, the loss of the farmers due to unsold surplus production and post-harvest losses is estimated at between Tk25-35 billion. To prevent this significant loss, the government has been encouraging potato exports. Read: Bangladesh to supply potato to Russia, says Russian Embassy According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), more than 480,000 hectares of land were under potato production this year. Potato producers recently come together to inaugurate this year's exports, a sign of the country's continued success in selling potatoes abroad, the FAO said. Four potato producer cooperatives joined the inauguration in Pairabandh, Mithapukur – the third annual inauguration in a row. Guests included Md Sayedul Islam, secretary at the agriculture ministry, and Benojir Alom, director-general of the (DAE). Private sector exporters and other government extension agency representatives also joined. Farmers from the northern region of Rangpur have been producing export-quality potatoes by using good agricultural practices (GAP), a collection of principles for safe and healthy farming and processing. The success of this initiative is due to a partnership between the Sara Bangla Krishak Society, a national network of farmers' organisations, and FAO, under the "Missing Middle Initiative" project. The project provided GAP training to 100 farmers from four cooperatives. More than half of the farmers were women. The farmers also received pre-production, inspection, and post-harvest assistance. FAO organised a pre-season buyer-seller meeting for officials from the Bangladesh Potato Exporters' Association to meet smallholder potato farmers. Officials from the BPEA liaised with foreign buyers to get specifications and orders. The potato producers have grown 450 metric tonnes of Santana potato, a high yielding Dutch commercial variety. They were also able to procure seeds from the exporters at an affordable price. The producers also grew Diamant, Cardinal, Granola, and Asterix varieties which are in high demand in Malaysia, Nepal, Sri Lanka and countries in the Middle East and North Africa. The Ministry of Agriculture, through the DAE and the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation, has been supporting potato producers to increase export since 2019. Read:Bangladesh to increase potato export to ensure better price to farmers : Commerce Minister There are, however, challenges which include meeting export protocols of importing countries, lack of sufficient quantity of preferred varieties, lack of farmer awareness of export quality potato varieties, and finding ways to produce potatoes without quality issues such as hollow hearts, brown rot, or insects. To address these challenges, the agriculture ministry is sharing GAP with farmers throughout the country. The formulation of a Bangla GAP policy is almost complete. Work is also in progress to set up advanced laboratories to meet exporters' sanitary and phytosanitary requirements. FAO Representative in Bangladesh Robert D Simpson said: "To truly thrive, the potato export value chain requires a productive alliance between all involved – the government, private sector, and producer organisations." "Bangladesh has a lot of potential to grow commercial and export varieties of potatoes, and we are working closely with the Ministry of Agriculture to boost potato exports to strengthen food security and increase incomes for farmers and farming communities." FAO's Missing Middle Initiative has also supported potato producer cooperatives to establish virtual call centres which help them buy inputs and sell their produce. Salma Akhter Adury, a virtual call centre operator at Birhim IAPP Farmers' Cooperative, told how she landed an order by sending photos of their potatoes. "I sent photos of our Santana variety potatoes to the exporters. The exporters were impressed with the high quality, and we received an order for more than 200 metric tonnes for our cooperative from two exporters," she said. Arif Azad Prince, managing director of MASAWA Corporation, an agro-processing and export company, said the combined effort of the government, FAO, exporters and producer cooperatives have ensured a strong export supply chain. He said: "Potato producer cooperatives ensured the use of good agricultural practices to grow quality potatoes and collectively sell potatoes to our company." "We offer a fair price to the farmers, and our importers get shipments as desired. The result is that Bangladesh's potato value chain has a strong reputation among all stakeholders."

Two cold waves in 45 days, accompanied by rain and fog, swept over the district this winter and in its wake left the farmers to struggle with late blight disease of potatoes.   Fearing an outbreak of the disease and subsequent losses, many farmers have started harvesting potato although the crop is yet to mature enough.   Farmers cultivated potato on 15,000 hectares of land in eight upazilas of the district this season, according to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE).   The weather was favourable for potato at the beginning of the season but plants started dying because of late blight, the DAE said.   Farmers fear big losses as potato in most of the fields are getting dry while the plants the roots of the plants are decomposing.   They said the plants begin to grow potato at the end of December when a cold wave was sweeping over the district. The weather did not improve for several days and the disease emerged.   Potatoes started to turn yellow and were drying out, they said.   At the DAE’s advice, farmers applied anti-fungal spray but after two weeks, the district was again hit by a cold spell. The symptoms of late blight reappeared, prompting farmers to harvest potato and sell them before time.   Experts said late blight emerges in humid condition and if the appropriate fungicide is not used, it can destroy the entire plant in a matter of days after the first lesions appear.   Infected tubers are often invaded by soft rot bacteria which rapidly convert adjoining healthy potatoes into a smelly, rotten mass that must be discarded.   Several farmers from Nongorpur in the Sadar said they used anti-fungal spray at the advice of DAE but it did not make any difference.   Things are looking gloom for the farmers.   Hasmot Ali, a local farmer, said he cultivated potato on two bighas (66 decimals). “The plants were growing properly at the beginning but the disease affected them in the last one week,” he said.   “The yield would have been higher if we could harvest the potato after two to three weeks. But I fear that I’ll incur more loss if I don’t sell the potato now [as the fields have been affected by late blight],” he said.   Jashore DAE Additional Director Emdat Sheikh said they are aware of the situation.   “We’ve have visited different areas of the districts and found that some fields have been affected by the disease,” he said. “We’ve advised farmers to apply anti-fungal spray to prevent the outbreak.”