Bumper production turns bane for potato farmers

A bumper production of potatoes has surprisingly turned into a headache for both farmers and cold storage owners as the demand for the vegetable has fallen in both domestic and international market.

Potato farmers and cold storage owners said the demand for the vegetable saw a sharp fall in the local market due to ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.

“I have several tons of potatoes stored at various cold storages in the district. However, I am not being able to sell them as the current market price is lower that my production and storage cost,” Md Azibur, a farmer from Srinagar of Munshiganj, told The Business Post.

According to Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA), only 5 lakh tones potato have been sold till July 2021 while more than 50 lakh tones remain in storage.

BCSA President Md Mosharaf Hossain said, “The demand of potato has fallen sharply as shops, hotels and restaurants remain closed due to the strict lockdown. Along with the storage, each kilogramme of potato now costs around Tk 18 while the current market price is Tk 13.”

He also expressed fears that of the total amount in storage, more than 20 lakh tons will be wasted if they are not sold by the year end.

Mosharaf also said that the BCSA also requested the government to take necessary steps, like procuring potatoes for relief purposes or campaigning for multiple uses of the vegetable in the country.

In a bid to address the crisis, BCSA sent letters to agriculture ministry, trade ministry, food ministry and Disaster Management and Relief ministry in this regard.

“The government must take immediate steps to keep farmers and the owners of cold storage safe from huge losses. Otherwise, farmers will be discouraged to produce potatoes in the next year,” he added.

In the last season, Bangladesh recorded a bumper production of

1.1 million tons of potatoes, up from 9 million tons in the previous season.

Between March and April this year, a total of 400 cold storages stocked nearly 55 lakh tones of potatoes.

“Only 20 per cent of the stocked potatoes might be sold in the next two months,” BCSA official hoped.

Although the country exported more potatoes this year compared to the last, exporters said the global demand for Bangladeshi potatoes have fallen due to issues with varieties.

According to the data of Bangladesh Potato Exporters Association, Bangladesh exported 55,000 tons of potato in the global market this year, up from 40,000 tons last year.

Zakir Hossain, secretary of Bangladesh Potato Exporters’ Association, said, “The export variety is produced in small quantities in our country. On the other hand, we have lost market for the disease of black sport. We must cultivate more exportable varieties to lead in the global market.”