Bangladesh: Potato exports jump

Potato export has witnessed a sharp rise by 56% to US$19.38m in the first 8 months of the current fiscal year, thanks to the government’s initiative to promote the export of the food item and also to save the farmers by ensuring fair prices to their product.

According to the Export Promotion Bureau data, Bangladesh exported potato worth $19.38mn in between July and February of the current fiscal while it was only US$11m in the same period of the previous fiscal year 2013-14.

During the last fiscal, Bangladesh exported potato worth $34m to different countries. Out of which, only Russia alone imported potato of $9m. However, Malaysia has become the largest importer of potato from Bangladesh, buying potato worth $13m during the last fiscal.

Surplus production during the last two seasons meant that Bangladesh exported the highest volume of potato in the last fiscal while potato worth only $9m was exported in the 2012-13 fiscal.

The export scenario of the particular food product has sharply increased since last year due to the government’s massive initiatives for boosting potato export as the country experienced serious agitation by potato farmers for not getting fair prices in the last two years.

“The government’s measure to increase the export volume of potato is obviously praiseworthy as it has ultimately save the farmers, said Dr Asaduzzaman, an ago-economist, who works as professional fellow at Bangladesh Institute of Development Studies (BIDS).

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