Home ›› 17 Feb 2022 ›› Editorial
Farmers are facing a conundrum when it comes to potatoes. Large quantities of last year’s potatoes are still lying in cold storage. New potatoes, on the other hand, are ready to be harvested. Furthermore, new potato strains have emerged in some areas. All of the potatoes will be harvested by March. For selling later, farmers and business people keep vast quantities of potatoes in cold storages. How can we store the newly harvested potatoes when there are still plenty of potatoes in the cold storage? Potato farmers, potato merchants, cold storage authorities, and the government are all concerned about this issue.
Potato prices have dropped since September of last year. The price of a kilogram of potato used to range between 20-25 taka. However, in January, the price of a kilogram of potato plummeted to 6–7 taka. That price had stabilised at 4 taka per kilogram by the end of January and the beginning of February.
This issue was especially dire in Munshiganj, the country’s main centre of potato cultivation. The unsold potatoes in the cold storage are beginning to rot. According to officials of the local Agriculture Expansion Office, potatoes were farmed on 37 thousand 850 hectares of land in this district last year. This resulted in the production of 13 lakh metric tonnes of potatoes. This district has a total of 64 cold storage units. 5 lakh 43 thousand 602 metric tonnes of potatoes are stored in all of these cold storage units. The remainder of the potatoes is kept in a haphazard manner. Huge piles of potatoes are lying around everywhere, both inside and outside the cold storage facilities. Numerous bags of potatoes have gone bad. On the potatoes, buds have begun to develop.
Last year, one bag of potatoes cost 880 taka, including the fee for the cold storage. One bag is now being offered at 200 taka. And the cold storage costs 220 taka. As a result, owners are not letting potatoes be removed from cold storage. And the farmers too are not keen on getting their produce released from the cold storages. According to cold storage officials, farmers and merchants/businessmen were granted loans to buy potatoes. They are not sure how the farmers will be able to repay the debts. Department of Agricultural Expansion (DAE) states that 40 per cent of extra potato was produced last year vis a vis the demand for the same. They say that losses incurred on potatoes did not happen only this time; they have happened in the past as well. Last year, as farmers got high profits from potato sales, they decided to wait a few more days and see that if the market price rose. They did not sell potatoes as a result of this line of thinking. Moreover, farmers planted potato variants that could be harvested earlier than usual. As a result, consumers prefer to purchase new potatoes over potatoes that have been stored in cold storage. Consequently, the sale of potatoes in cold storage has decreased.
According to a Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO) report from 2013, Bangladesh ranked seventh in the world in potato production. At that time, China, India, Russia, Ukraine, the USA, and Germany were ahead in terms of potato production. According to recent FAO reports, Bangladesh is currently the third-largest producer of potatoes, coming after China and India.
Despite the fact that potato production and cultivation began in this country long ago, commercial potato production started only in 1980. Potato production began to increase from 1997-1998. In 2002, only about 3.6 million tonnes of potato was produced. In 2013, this figure had risen to 8.3 million tonnes. Following that, the volume of potato production has tripled in the last 12 years. The government is now focusing not only on potato production but also on exports of high-quality potatoes. We have been supplying potatoes to countries of the region and many European countries for several years. Bangladesh’s potato exports have grown since 2012.
According to Bangladesh Agriculture Department, 0.9 million tonnes of potatoes were kept in cold storage around the year 2002. In 2015, that figure had risen to 100 million tonnes. Even though the volume of potatoes in cold storage has gradually increased, it has not yet reached the targeted level. The country is still suffering from a lack of cold storages. As a result, potatoes are stored in homesteads in the traditional manner. The people of Bangladesh like eating potatoes throughout the year, stored potatoes are used during the off-season. After being stored for an extended period of time, the potatoes lose their freshness. Often, buds begin to form on the potatoes. Even so, those potatoes are available in markets and do not taste unpleasant when cooked. It is unknown whether the potatoes lose their nutritional content; no research has been conducted so far on this subject. This indicates that increasing the number of cold storage units will allow for more potato preservation.
Nowaday’s natural cold storages are becoming increasingly popular internationally. Before selling them, many people store potatoes in natural cold storage units for four months. Farmers here have little or no knowledge about this technology. The concept of natural cold storage can be used in the Bangladesh scenario. Farmers must be made aware of this technology and should increase the number of natural cold storage.
Government officials at regular intervals have advised that potatoes be eaten as an alternative staple food instead of rice. However, there have not been much genuine initiatives regarding these issues. Because enough potatoes are being produced in our country, we might consider them as an alternative basic meal. We can consume potatoes in the same way that people in other countries eat bread, noodles, pasta, oats, and other foodstuff instead of rice. But how exactly? We will have to find out ways and means. Research is required to discover a solution to this dilemma. We need to figure out how to eat potatoes to retain their nutritional value while also tasting good. Natural sugars and carbs found in raw potato juice aid in boosting the body’s energy levels. There are also a lot of vitamins and minerals in the tuber. As a result, consuming potato juice has numerous health benefits. It also has anti-inflammatory properties. It aids in better digestion, acid reduction, and the elimination of pancreatic issues. Ulcers can be reduced by imbibing potato juice. Because it contains vitamin C, it aids in the prevention of colds and coughs. It also aids in weight loss and preventing blood loss from wounds. It helps in the removal of toxins from the liver and the maintenance of a healthy heart. People should be made aware of the benefits of imbibing potato juice.
French fries are the most popular potato-based culinary item on the planet. Chips, pringles, and mashed potatoes are also often consumed. Potatoes are used in about 200 different foods in the United States. Large amounts of potatoes are utilized in cooking in many European countries. From there, we can receive a variety of suggestions.
We typically consume potatoes cooked with any type of meat, vegetable, or even cheese. In North Bengal, a potato-based dish known as “Aloor Dal,” or potato lentil, is a popular and excellent dish in terms of taste and nourishment. For breakfast, many Bengalis prefer fried potatoes, also known as “Aloo Bhaji,” or potatoes fried with chopped carrots, served with roti or paratha. By conducting research, we can investigate the notion of having alternative foods such as potatoes. As a result, individuals of all socioeconomic strata will be able to benefit from the large quantities of potatoes produced in our country. And this will be inexpensive to boot.
1.1crore tonnes of potatoes were produced last year. Of that amount 35,000 tonnes of potatoes were shipped out to other countries. Exporting potatoes after they have met national demand will positively impact the economy. This will also positively change the fortunes of businesses and farmers. There is no need to import chips, pringles, or french fries because we produce enough potatoes. We can make these items right here in Bangladesh. Furthermore, if potatoes are included in the list of alternative food items, the market price of potatoes will no longer fluctuate. Instead, there will always be a demand for potatoes, and the general public will not face a food shortage.
The writer is a researcher and columnist. She can be contacted at shanu.mostafiz@gmail.com
