Cold storage operators in Joypurhat district have sold farmers' potatoes without informing them, leaving many farmers facing losses. The Sathi, Mollah and Hafizar Rahman cold storages in Panchbibi and Khetlal upazilas secretly sold thousands of sacks of potatoes without telling the farmers.

Abdur Razzak, a farmer of Shalaipur village, said: "I kept 900 sacks of potatoes at Sathi cold storage. Far from being asked about a sale, I wasn't even told. Now I hear it has all been sold. What kind of justice is this?"

Another farmer, Amjad Hossain, said: "I kept 300 sacks of potatoes at Mollah cold storage. When I went to take them out, I found everything gone."

The cold storage authorities say: "We had to sell in advance because of the risk of the potatoes rotting and to free up space."

District agricultural marketing officer Mehedi Hasan said clearly: "Selling potatoes before the deadline is entirely illegal. No crop can be sold without the farmer's permission."

The affected farmers have sought proper compensation and justice through the district agricultural marketing officer and the deputy commissioner.

Anwarul Haque Anu, a director of the Joypurhat Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that if a crop grown with the farmer's sweat is not safe even inside a cold store, where can the farmer turn? He said the incident is not only economic but a reflection of the state's and institutions' attitude towards farmers, and the administration should quickly investigate, act against those responsible and restore farmers' trust.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.