‘Govt to help with potato exports’

The government will support stakeholders to boost potato exports, Agriculture Minister Abdur Razzaque said Thursday.

At a view exchange with representatives of Bangladesh Potato Exporters Association (BPEA) at his office in the ministry, Razzaque added, “Potato is a very promising crop because of favourable weather and soil. If the market and demand for potatoes increases, it is possible to step up the crop’s production significantly. So, we’re working to expand potato market abroad. A rough roadmap has already been formulated.”

He added that the agriculture ministry is working to solve the existing problems centring potato exports.

Mentioning that Bangladesh produces more than one crore tonnes of potato annually, Razzaque said, “The scarcity of good quality potatoes has been a big hindrance to potato exports.

“So, the ministry imported different varieties of potatoes from abroad and is working on popularising these varieties among farmers in remote areas.”