Potato farmers in Bangladesh's Bogura district are avoiding calls from cold storage operators as prices continue to fall, making it difficult to recover production and storage costs. Cold storage owners say growers are reluctant to take back their stockpiled potatoes because market prices remain well below expectations.
At the cold-storage level, potatoes are selling for about US$0.12–0.13 per kilogram, while the combined cost of production and storage has reached US$0.20–0.21 per kilogram, according to traders in Bogura. The gap of roughly US$0.08 per kilogram translates into losses of about US$8.50–9.50 per 63-kilogram sack, wiping out profits for many smallholders.
"Farmers and a section of traders have reportedly been avoiding calls from cold-storage operators, many of whom fear defaults on rental fees," said Md Nurunnabi, manager of Himadri Limited Cold Storage in Shibganj, Bogura. "Out of fear of paying the rent, many are now absconding," he said, adding that 85% of the facility's 32,000-sack capacity remains full of potatoes, while new space is needed for the upcoming crop.
Data from the Department of Agricultural Extension show that the Bogura-Joypurhat region produced 2.15 million tonnes of potatoes across 38,000 hectares during the 2024–25 season, a record yield supported by favourable weather. The bumper crop depressed prices and filled the area's 56 cold storages, which together can hold just over half a million tonnes.
At an average loss of US$0.08 per kilogram, the total financial impact for potatoes stored in Bogura alone is estimated at over US$45 million.
Obaidul, a grower from Betgari village who farms about 2.8 hectares, said he spent US$16.10 per sack to grow and store red Pakri potatoes, which now sell for about US$8.50. "During the season, the retail price of potatoes was Tk 25–27 a kg. Now I'm selling it for Tk 18–20 a kg," he said.
For the Asterix variety (locally known as "Stick"), the price has dropped to Tk 600–700 per sack (US$5.10–6.00) against a cost of Tk 1,530 (US$13.20), causing a loss of about US$7.70 per sack. Cold storage owners also report mounting financial pressure.
"The fall in potato prices has become a nightmare," said Tofazzal Hossain, senior vice-president of the Greater Bogura Cold Storage Owners Association. "We are an integral part of the agricultural value chain; yet our losses are ignored. Electricity bills alone can reach Tk 2.0 million (US$17,300) a month," he said.
Hossain warned that without credit or energy support, the storage sector and the stability it provides to potato production could face a financial crisis. Under current conditions, potatoes left in cold storage may have to be destroyed to make room for the next harvest.
Source: Financial Express
