Farmers cultivating early varieties of potatoes in Bangladesh are facing significant losses as prices of freshly harvested tubers remain low, largely due to an oversupply of older stock. Traditionally, new potatoes command higher prices for their aroma and taste, but this year, the gap between old and new potatoes has narrowed, undermining growers' expectations.
Production costs for early potatoes are around Tk 30 per kilogram, while wholesale prices hover between Tk 28 and Tk 30. Retail prices in Dhaka reach about Tk 35 per kg, with smaller potatoes selling for Tk 25–30, close to the Tk 20–25 per kg rate for old stock. Farmers cite a bumper harvest last winter, adverse weather, and high input costs as key challenges. Continuous rainfall during planting damaged crops, further increasing costs.
Farmers from Rangpur, Lalmonirhat, and Kurigram report selling potatoes below production costs, with losses running into hundreds of thousands of taka. Cold storage facilities remain overloaded with around 500,000 tonnes of stock, delaying market clearance.
Bangladesh produced about 11.5 million tonnes of potatoes last winter, far exceeding domestic demand of 8–9 million tonnes. Experts warn that declining purchasing power and weak market demand are compounding the problem, leaving farmers frustrated despite good yields and threatening the economic viability of early potato cultivation.
Source: www.thedailystar.net
