Potatoes Pile Up in Cold Storages as Farmers Lose 11-14 Taka a Kilo

Farmers and traders had stored potatoes in cold storages hoping for a good price. But even as the season draws to a close, the market is not giving them the price they expected. Instead, a shortage of buyers and falling prices have left them reluctant even to take the potatoes out of storage.

Counting production, transport and storage costs, each kilo of potato has cost 23-24 taka. Yet at present it has to be sold for 10-12 taka a kilo. Farmers and traders are therefore losing 11-14 taka on every kilo.

Huge quantities of potatoes still lie unsold in the cold storages of Pakundia upazila in Kishoreganj. There is uncertainty too over whether the potatoes can be cleared within the stipulated time.

They had stored the potatoes this year hoping to make up for last year's losses, but now they face fresh losses.

Traders say a sack usually holds 65 kilos of potatoes, of which about 60 kilos remain saleable after sorting. Including production, transport and cold storage rent, the cost comes to 23-24 taka a kilo. But the market price of potatoes has now fallen to 10-12 taka.

There are two government and four private cold storages for storing potatoes at the district and upazila level. Of these, Pakundia has one government and two private cold storages, the district headquarters has one government cold storage, and Bhairab has two private ones.

A recent visit to Purbachal Himagar and Egarosindur Cold Storage in Pakundia showed little sign of the usual bustle of clearing potatoes even at the end of the season. Inside, sacks of potatoes are stacked in rows. Some people are opening sacks and taking potatoes out, others are tending to them. But with no buyers in the market, most farmers and traders are not keen to take their potatoes out.

The cold storage authorities said the potatoes were stored in March-April this year. Usually, the time allowed for clearing potatoes runs until November 15. But this year, because of heavy supply and falling prices in the market, huge quantities of potatoes still remain in the cold storages. It is unlikely that all of them will be cleared within the stipulated time.

Potato trader Rafiqul Islam, who came from Hosenpur, said he had stored 2,200 sacks of potatoes at Egarosindur Cold Storage. Including purchase, transport and cold storage rent, his cost came to 23-24 taka a kilo. At the start, the market price was 16-17 taka. Now it has fallen to 10-11 taka. He is losing 11-12 taka a kilo.

Ripon Mia, a potato farmer from Sukhia village in Pakundia, said the cost of farming has risen. He grew potatoes with great effort and stored them hoping for a good price. Now, even in the full season, there are no buyers and the price has fallen. They are in trouble.

Abdul Kadir, a trader from Sreepur in Gazipur, said he bought potatoes from Egarosindur Cold Storage two days ago at 13 taka a kilo. He has not taken them out of the cold storage yet. In the meantime, the price has fallen by two taka a kilo. Once transport and other costs of bringing the potatoes from the cold storage to Gazipur are added, he will face further losses.

Delowar Hossain, manager of Purbachal Himagar, said 5,500 metric tonnes of potatoes had been stored in their cold storage. Of these, 4,000 metric tonnes have been cleared. Most of the remaining potatoes are seed potatoes.

Engineer Md. Altaf Hossain, manager of Egarosindur Cold Storage, said 139,174 sacks of potatoes were stored in their cold storage this year. By November 7, 83,500 sacks had been cleared. Still, 55,674 sacks remain. Because of the price fall, farmers and traders have reduced the amount of potatoes they are taking out. It is unlikely that all the potatoes will be cleared within the stipulated time.

According to the Pakundia Upazila Agriculture Office, potatoes are grown on an average of 1,300 hectares of land in the upazila every year. Last fiscal year, farmers cultivated potatoes on 1,450 hectares hoping for higher prices. Favourable weather produced a yield of about 30 tonnes per hectare. But as potato production rose across the country, prices fell in the market, leaving farmers facing financial losses.

Pakundia Upazila Agriculture Officer, agriculturist Nure I Alam, said farmers must diversify their crops instead of depending on a single crop. In the Rabi season, mustard and wheat should be given importance alongside potatoes. Maize, onion and winter vegetables can also be grown on small plots. Then, even if one crop makes a loss, the profit from another crop can make up for it.

However, it is feared that unless arrangements are made to export the potatoes produced and market them properly, cultivation of this promising crop could fall alarmingly, like jute and sugarcane.