The supply of potatoes from cold storages in Rajshahi to other districts including Dhaka has fallen by half in past two weeks. A total 36 cold storages in Rajshahi usually supply at least 1,000 tons of potato to other districts daily, the cold storage authorities say.
"Our stock of potatoes is almost empty. It is natural at this time that the supply will fall," said Md Ohidur Rashid, general manager of New Uttara Cold Storage Limited in Tokipur area under Paba county. "It is necessary for us to empty the storages by December when the sowing season of potatoes starts and prepare the storages for storing again by end of February when potatoes will start to arrive.”
The district's stock of potatoes will last for at least one week, said Mozdar Hossain, deputy director of Department of Agricultural Extension in Rajshahi, adding that newly harvested potato will be available in the markets by that time. The district's cold storages recorded a stock of about 9,045 tons of potatoes yesterday, while it was about 18,000 tons two weeks ago.
Source: thedailystar.net