Sadullapur area in Gaibandha is known as a major vegetable hub. Besides other crops, potatoes are extensively cultivated here. Farmers usually earn good profits by selling potatoes to meet local demand. However, this year the potato market has collapsed significantly.
As a result, stored potatoes have become a burden for the farmers. Traders and cold storage owners are also facing heavy losses.
Potato growers said that they made good profits last year. But this year, due to increased prices of seeds, fertilizers, and pesticides, they had to take loans to cultivate potatoes, hoping for good prices.
With a bumper harvest, there was joy on their faces initially, but storing the potatoes has now dulled that happiness.
Local traders and farmers reported that they had stocked a large quantity of potatoes in cold storage expecting profits. The cost of production and storage comes to about 23 taka per kilogram, but currently, the wholesale market price is only 9 taka, and buyers are scarce.
If the potatoes could have been exported, no one would have faced losses. This market failure is expected to negatively affect potato production in the upcoming Rabi season. The affected farmers and traders are seeking government support.
Hamidul Islam, manager of RV Cold Storage Limited in Dhaperhat, said that so far 40,000 sacks of potatoes have been sold. However, 90,000 sacks remain unsold due to the market slump, putting the company at risk of crores of taka in losses.
Sadullapur Upazila Agriculture Officer Apuv Bhattacharya stated that prices have fallen due to excess supply compared to demand. Measures will be taken to provide incentives to the farmers.
