Potato price fall puts Kurigarm farmers at risk

Drastic fall in prices of potatoes in off season has put the growers and traders in Kurigam on the risk of huge loss as they had stored their produces in cold storages immediate after harvest hoping for a higher price during monsoon but the reality went reverse.

Usually, demand for potatoes increases during the monsoon as the supply of other vegetables reduces during the season and the potato farmers and traders store their potatoes in cold storage to maximise their profit.

But this year, the situation went another way as for poor demand the potatoes remained in the storage and the traders are counting rents, said the traders

All the five public and private cold storages in Kurigram are still full of potatoes as a little portion of those came out to market. The traders blamed prolonged Covid-induced restrictions for the situation as they could not transport their products to other districts.

If this situation continues, the farmers said they might lose interest in potato cultivation in future.

They asked the government to ensure the export of potatoes for their survival.

Now production and storage cost for per kilogram of potato stands at Tk 18 to 20 but the potato is being sold at Tk 10 to Tk 11 in the market, the farmers said adding the just a month ago the price of potato in local markets was Tk 15 to Tk 16 per kg.

Many traders said that they had stored potatoes taking loans from the cold storage owners with the hope of getting a better price during the lean season.

AH Razzak, a potato farmer from Subarkuti in Holokhana union of Kurigram, said he cultivates potatoes on about 100 acres of land every year and this year he might face a loss of around Tk 50 to 55 lakh. He urged the government to export potatoes to save them.

Another farmer, Mohammad Alam Mia of Hemerkuti in Kurigram, lamented that no one from the government came to inquire about them. “No one bothers that farmers are dying.”

Md Sekendar Ali, owner of Sekendar Seed Cold Storage Ltd, said the cold storage owners had given loans to the farmers against their potatoes.

“For the low market price, about 80 per cent of potatoes are still stored in cold storages.

If the market price continues to fall, farmers and traders will not release their stored potatoes from the cold storage. And then we will have to count losses,” said Sekendar.

Kurigram Sadar Upazila Agriculture Officer Mohammad Zakir Hossain said potato production cost increased this year as the price of seeds was high last season.