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The potato market in Rangpur has gone in the hands of syndicates in association with cold storage authorities. Traders are taking excess profit from the market by creating artificial crises.
According to sources, despite huge stock in different cold storages, the price of the produce remains high in the local hat -bazars due to the syndication.
Farming of the crop has become expensive as the prices of fertiliser, diesel, insecticides, medicines and labour cost have increased much.
Spot visits in different kitchen markets of the city found that potato of cardinal ( high yielding variety) is being sold at Tk 50-55 while the local variety ( sheel and sada) sells at Tk 65- 70 for long days.
According to the DAE Rangpur some 1,00,602 hectares of lands were brought under potato cultivation during the last season in five districts- Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari districts of Rangpur agriculture region with the production of 16,11,354 tonnes.
There are some 38 cold storages in Rangpur districts having the storage capacity of 4,37,337 tonnes which are still almost full of stocks. The authorities of cold storages are releasing potato sacks slowly in the markets.
Many of the potato retailers said farmers have no stock of potatoes at their house during this period of the year. They are buying the produce at increased prices from the traders and cold storage authority who stockpiled the item.
Many of the farmers and traders said the cold storages have been overcharging for the preservation cost this year citing the reason for the increased price of power. The preserving costs per sack of potato (50 kg) has been fixed at Tk 380 this year while it was Tk 250 last year creating an extra burden to the farmers and traders.
A potato retail seller at Lalbag Bazar of the city, Alam Miah said, though there is still a huge stock of potato in the cold storages, the price of the produce has not been declining in the local markets. Per kg of potato sells at Tk 46 in the storages which stands at Tk 50 including the transportation costs. So, they have to sell the item at Tk 50- 55 per kg in the markets.
Retailers and traders have become the victim of the potato syndication that has created the price hike situation. It is urgent to break the chain of market manipulation, he added.
A consumer, AKM Habibulah , who is also a farmer said, potatoes are included in a daily food chart in every family. But it becomes beyond the reach of commoners following the high price. Rangpur is a surplus potato production zone in the country and the produce is largely transported elsewhere in the country from the district. So, there is no reason for increasing potato prices in the local markets.
The cold storage owners also stockpile huge numbers of potato sacks buying the produce through their agents from the farmers at the beginning of the season at a cheap rate. Later, they sell the items at high prices during the off season creating a manipulated market.
A section of dishonest brokers including the cold storage owners is to be blamed for the price hike situation in the local markets, he added.
Meanwhile, potato farmers and traders of the district protested the cold storages’ high charges and demanded to reduce the rate. They blocked Rangpur-Kurigram Road for around three hours recently to meet their demands.
A farmer cum trader, Rezaul Karim at Nabdigonj bazar of the city said farmers and traders went on a movement demanding to reduce the cold storage charge since last July. They held a human chain, protest rally and press conference urging the authority to take necessary measures in this regard.
The cold storage owners are charging extra for preserving potato sacks. Farmers and traders have to pay Tk 380-400 for storing per sacks of potato this year while it was only Tk 280 last year.
A farmer, Afzal Hossain of Imadpur village under Mithapukur Upazila of the district said, the farming cost of potato has however, has increased much in recent years as the prices of agriculture inputs and labour costs have become almost doubled. They have to incur losses if they do not sell the items at reasonable prices.
Contacted, President, Bangladesh Cold Storage Owners Association, Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu said, the potato market has been maintaining high this year as the farmers and traders sell the produce at increased rate since the beginning of the season. The cold storage rate has been slightly increased due to high maintenance cost and electric bill. Moreover, the required additional potato production was not done this year to meet last year’s production shortfall.
