The government had announced to purchase 50,000 tons of potatoes to reduce farmers' losses. It was also said that the minimum price per kg of potatoes at the cold storage gate would be 22 taka. Two months have passed since the announcement by the Ministry of Agriculture on August 27, but potatoes have not been purchased and farmers have not received the 22 taka price. As a result, prices in cold storage and the market have fallen further. This has further reduced the burden on farmers who have been struggling to buy potatoes throughout the season.

Now, a kilogram of potatoes is being sold at 10 to 12 taka in the wholesale market, which is 15 to 20 taka in retail. A month ago, the price was 25 taka. As production is about 4 million tons more than demand, the price in the market has fallen due to the flow of supply. According to the government agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of potatoes has fallen by about 63 percent in the last one year.

According to the Cold Storage Owners Association, about 2 million tons of potatoes have not been sold in 340 cold storages in the country. The price of potatoes in cold storage has dropped to 9 to 11 taka per kg. Farmers complain that this is not raising production costs. They say that before the price of 22 taka was announced, it was sold at 16 to 17 taka in wholesale. After the government fixed the price, it has fallen to 9 to 11 taka. In this situation, the Cold Storage Owners Association has demanded that the government start the procurement process immediately to reduce the losses of farmers. They have also called for special incentives for farmers in the coming season.

Analysts say the main reasons for the current crisis are overproduction, limited export markets and weak market management. Farmers cultivated potatoes on more land in the hope of profit due to high prices last November. However, excess production over demand and delays in implementing government-announced measures have hit farmers hard.

Potatoes are piling up in all cold storages
Potatoes are now piling up in cold storages in different regions. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, potatoes have been cultivated on 5.24 lakh hectares of land this season against the target of 4.67 lakh hectares. The production has been about 13 million tons, which is about 4 million tons more than the demand. According to the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA), the country's annual demand is 9 million tons. However, about 2 million tons of potatoes are still stored in various cold storages.

Shahana Akhtar Jahan, deputy director of the Rajshahi Department of Agricultural Marketing, said that the main reason for the fall in market prices is overproduction. Farmers have cultivated more land this year because the price was higher last year. Even though the government has fixed the price of potatoes at Tk 22, buyers are not being found. In Rajshahi, potatoes have been cultivated on 3,545 hectares more land this year than in the last fiscal year, and production has increased by about 92,000 tons.

The situation in Bogra, Joypurhat, Naogaon, Rangpur and Lalmonirhat is also similar. In Bogra, usually 70 percent of the potatoes in the cold storage are sold during this period, but this time only 40 percent have been sold. Farmers and traders have lost about 177 crore taka due to the fall in the price of potatoes stored in 11 cold storages in Joypurhat. In Naogaon, the total loss is about 14 crore taka, assuming a loss of 10 taka per kg.

The situation in the Rangpur region is also complicated. According to farmers and traders, the loss in frozen potatoes this time has reached about 2,000 crore taka.

Leaders of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association say that farmers are unable to survive because the government's announcement to purchase potatoes is not effective. They demand that the government quickly start the process of purchasing the announced 50,000 tons of potatoes, otherwise many will abandon potato cultivation in the coming season.

Deputy Director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, Munshiganj, Md. Habibur Rahman said, "Potato cultivation is the tradition of Munshiganj farmers. Even if the price drops, they do not give up farming. This time it has become difficult to survive. It is important to export potatoes and develop potato-based industries to save the farmers."

Agricultural economist Dr. Jahangir Alam said that farmers have suffered huge losses as the government's intervention in the potato market has not been timely and realistic. The declared minimum price has not been implemented. As a result, producers have been discouraged, which may reduce cultivation in the next season. To keep the market stable, the government must now plan to build buffer stocks, implement minimum prices and find new export markets - otherwise, the potato market will again be unstable next year.