Farmers and traders in Joypurhat who put potatoes into cold storage hoping for better prices are now losing Tk 6-7 on every kilo they sell. By the district agriculture office's figures, growing a kilo costs about Tk 17, cold storage adds Tk 6 and transport and other costs Tk 1, a total of Tk 23-24. The market is paying Tk 14-15.

In the 2025-26 season the district grew potatoes on 39,300 hectares and harvested 919,594 tonnes. Its 22 cold stores (14 in Kalai, four in Khetlal and two each in Panchbibi and Akkelpur) hold 215,982 tonnes for food and seed. Under the deadline set by the cold stores, the rest must be taken out by 10 November.

Rafiqul Islam, who stored 600 sacks at the Punot cold store, said he is offered Tk 850 a sack when Tk 1,200-1,300 would be a fair price, a loss of Tk 400-500 a sack. Mithu Hossain of Sadar, who planted 60 bigha and stored 350 sacks, said he gets Tk 500 a sack after rent against costs of about Tk 1,200.

Kalai trader Mehedul Chowdhury stored about 8,000 sacks and has sold 5,000 without profit, at a cost of Tk 1,220-1,250 a sack. Many growers and traders borrowed from banks, NGOs or moneylenders and now struggle to repay. They blame the lack of exports for the slump and want the government to move quickly to send potatoes abroad.

Badiuzzaman, accountant at the Messrs Israt cold store, said far fewer potatoes are leaving storage than in past years, so chambers are not emptying and the power load stays high. Farmer Sohel Hossain lost about Tk 6,000 on 20 sacks; after losing about Tk 100,000 on four bigha last season, he says he will no longer grow potatoes commercially.

Md Monju Alam Sarker, deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension in the district, said that with prices below the cost of production, farmers may take less risk on potatoes next season and turn more to other rabi crops. The report also notes that rain just before storage forced many to sell in a hurry. It is by Dhaka Post's Joypurhat correspondent Champak Kumar.

Photo: Hridoye Mati O Manush / Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 2.0)

Source: Dhaka Post