Winter has brought bustle to the farmland of Lalmonirhat. All five upazilas of the district have had bumper yields of winter vegetables and early potatoes, and with favourable weather farmers are busy lifting new potatoes. But despite the good harvest, low market prices are worrying them. New potatoes have started reaching the markets, yet farmers are missing out on the prices they hoped for because old potatoes from last season dominate.

A tour of wholesale produce markets and retail markets in the district found early 'Courage' potatoes selling wholesale at Tk 95 per 5 kg (Tk 19 a kg), and 'Hagrai' (Bograi) potatoes at Tk 160 per 5 kg (Tk 32 a kg). Meanwhile the price of last season's old red potatoes from cold storage has hit rock bottom: a 60 kg sack sells for only Tk 600 at the wholesale markets, or about Tk 10 a kg.

The effect is clear in retail markets too. At the town's Senamaitri Hawkers Market, Old Bus Stand, Haribhanga, Barabari, Mahendranagar and Burir Bazar, early Courage potatoes sell for Tk 20-22 a kg and Hagrai potatoes for Tk 35-36, while old red potatoes are available at Tk 8-10 a kg.

Rising production costs and falling prices have caused deep discontent among farmers. Ibrahim Hossain, a farmer in Durgapur union of Aditmari upazila, said: "At this time last year the wholesale price of new potatoes was Tk 45-50. This year it has fallen to Tk 17-20. We are not even recovering our production costs."

Rafiqul Islam, a farmer in Tushbhandar union of Kaliganj, said: "If we don't get a fair price, it will be hard for marginal farmers like us to run our households. Our lives will face a serious crisis."

Traders blame the oversupply of old potatoes as the main reason for the fall. "Because there are plenty of old potatoes in the market, demand for new potatoes is somewhat lower," said Majidul Mia, a wholesaler at the Barabari produce market.

Another wholesaler, Haque Saheb, said a lack of information between farmers and wholesalers and the absence of proper market links are also pushing prices down.

Jad Ali, a farmer in Hatibandha upazila, and Apel Uddin, a college teacher and potato grower in Sadar upazila, believe government intervention is urgently needed to ensure fair potato prices. "The crisis can be overcome by increasing exports, effective stock management and direct market links between farmers and wholesalers," they said.

According to the district Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), this season's target was 6,500 hectares of potato and 163,150 tonnes of production. Excluding early potatoes, 6,810 hectares had already been planted by December, 310 hectares above target: 4,010 hectares in Sadar upazila, 990 in Kaliganj, 880 in Aditmari, 680 in Hatibandha and 250 in Patgram. Early potatoes were grown on about 65 hectares.

Aditmari upazila agriculture officer Md Omar Faruk said that if the weather stays favourable, production will exceed expectations. But Sadar upazila agriculture officer Khandaker Sohayel Ahmed acknowledged that old potatoes from cold storage are putting the new potato market under some pressure.

"If the weather stays helpful to the end, we are hopeful that farmers will get fair prices along with good yields, and we are monitoring the market," said Dr Md Saikhul Arifin, deputy director of the district DAE.

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