Continued neglect of potato farmers

There seems to be no end to the struggles of potato farmers. Since the beginning of the year, farmers in the north have been incurring losses due to low market prices. Now, sudden waterlogging in the fields following recent rains has doubled their burden. On the ground across Gaibandha, Joypurhat, and Bogura, this daily found hundreds of acres of potato fields waterlogged—many fully submerged—over the weekend. Many of the crops were ready to be harvested before the rains struck.

Reportedly, some farmers had delayed harvesting because they could not find enough farmhands in time, while others were unable to secure space in cold storages. Some were also waiting for prices to rise before harvesting in order to avoid losses like last year. But with even quality potatoes failing to fetch good prices, the rains have put more farmers’ crops at risk of underpricing, rot, or even waste. What stands out in the multifaceted plight of potato farmers, however, is the systemic neglect they have been facing for long.

In the 2024-25 season, Bangladesh produced a record 1.15 crore tonnes of potatoes, far surpassing the annual demand of 90 lakh tonnes. Without any export expansion initiatives from the government, most farmers had to bear heavy losses caused by the price collapse. In August 2025, when much of the damage had already been done, the agriculture ministry announced plans to purchase 50,000 tonnes of potatoes for cold storage and later sale, setting a minimum price of Tk 22 per kg at storage gates. However, the plan saw no action and was eventually withdrawn in November.

Meanwhile, a Tk 110 crore cash incentive plan announced by the ministry in early December is also sitting idle. These incentives were meant to compensate potato farmers for the losses they have absorbed, yet the prices they receive for the crop continue to fall, with potatoes selling for only Tk 9-10 per kilogramme at the field level. While industrialists are able to access huge loans at meagre interest rates, potato farmers struggle to access credit. Even within the agricultural sector, there appears to be a hierarchy in which potato farmers find themselves at a lower position—one that is not proportional to the importance of their crop to the country’s collective diet.

We urge the authorities to take notice not only of the crops affected by the recent untimely rains, but also of the continued systemic neglect facing potato farmers. The 2024-25 season was disastrous for these people, and many have yet to recover from those losses. The government must act proactively to prevent further damage and work with the farmers to ensure timely harvesting, storage, and fair prices this year.