Sad tale of potato growers
Potato growers in Bogra and Rajshahi are worried as the price of their product marks steady fall in the local market.
The growers in Kahalu upazila said they are compelled to sell potato in the markets at low price due to lack of storage facility.
“Although the upazila experienced a bumper production of potato this year, the growers are fearing a hard time ahead as the potato price continued to fall. Each maund of potato is being sold at only Tk 250-380 in the local markets,” said a visibly upset Balu of Buril village.
Another potato grower Abdus Sattar of Paikor union parishad told UNB that growers could not preserve their production due to space crisis at cold storages.
Taking the advantage, a section of dishonest middlemen are buying their produce at a cheaper rate to make windfall profit, the growers alleged.
According to upazila agriculture office, 9,250 hectares have been brought under the potato cultivation this season than that of 10,675 hectares in previous season.
Farmers in Rajshahi are apprehending losses from potato cultivation as now potato is being sold between Tk 8 and 9 per kg in the local markets.
Raisuddin, a farmer of Kanaisahar village of Bagmara upazila, said “We shall not even get our production cost if the potato price doesn't rise.”
Farmers cultivated potato on vast tracts of land in the district this season as they earned good profit from the item last year.
Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) sources here said at least 37,340 hectares of land were brought under potato cultivation this year against 28,570 hectares in the previous year.
Farmers achieved bumper potato production this season due to favourable weather, DAE sources said.
Talked to Abdul Aziz, a farmer of Puthia upazila, he said he had cultivated potato on 10 bighas of land. Although he got bumper potato production he could not recoup the production cost by selling the item in the markets.
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