Key Highlights:
- Potato prices fall sharply across Bangladesh due to surplus stock.
- Farmers struggle as prices drop below production cost.
- Government fails to meet its 50,000 tonne procurement promise.
- New sowing begins while last season’s potatoes remain unsold.
Potato growers across Bangladesh are facing serious financial losses as prices have fallen sharply this season. Retail prices now range between Tk 15 and Tk 20 per kilogram, while cold storage gate prices are as low as Tk 9-11. The market crash, caused mainly by oversupply, has left both farmers and cold storage owners in distress.
Farmers said they are unable to recover even basic production cost, which is about Tk 15-16 per kilogram. The government had earlier fixed the price at Tk 22 per kilogram at cold storage gates and promised to buy 50,000 tonnes to support farmers. However, the procurement plan did not move forward, causing further price decline.
Also read: Global Potato Crisp Market to Reach USD 45 Billion by 2035
According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, potato production during the 2024-25 financial year reached a record 1.15 crore tonnes from 4.92 lakh hectares of land, about a 9 percent rise compared to the previous year. But the demand, as per the Tuber Crops Research Centre, remains around 90 lakh tonnes per year, including 10 lakh tonnes used as seed and 80 lakh tonnes for food and processing.
With excess stock and low demand, prices at cold storages and local markets have dropped sharply. Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, president of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA), said around 18–19 lakh tonnes of potatoes, including both table and seed varieties, are still stored across the country.
“The government promised to buy 50,000 tonnes but didn’t keep its word. Without proper monitoring or purchase, prices crashed even more,” Babu said. He added that though the government announced incentives for farmers, these have not yet been distributed.
On August 23, Agriculture Adviser Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury said the government would purchase potatoes to reduce farmers’ losses. The BCSA later requested that these be included in social safety and ration schemes, but procurement has not yet started.
Attempts to reach Agriculture Ministry Secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian for comment were unsuccessful. Trading Corporation of Bangladesh Chairman Brig Gen Mohammad Foyshol Azad said he had no information on the matter. An official from the agriculture ministry, speaking anonymously, confirmed that an initial procurement move had begun but was paused for unclear reasons.
With the new sowing season already underway, the official said there is little chance of any large scale purchase from farmers this year.
BCSA data shows about 20 lakh tonnes of potatoes are still stored in more than 350 cold storages across Bangladesh. As the next harvest season approaches in December, industry groups warn that the market could face a complete collapse if no measures are taken.
Major potato growing areas like Munshiganj, Rangpur, Bagura, Rajshahi, Naogaon and Joypurhat have all reported heavy losses. Many farmers cannot sell their potatoes even at cost and large quantities have started to rot in storage.
Despite the market slump, some farmers have begun sowing early potato varieties, hoping to sell them before the main harvest. Yet this year’s situation remains uncertain, last season’s stock remains unsold and export numbers are low.
Bangladesh exported only about 62,000 tonnes of potatoes and processed products worth $40 million in FY25, according to the Export Promotion Bureau. The slow export performance has added more pressure on the domestic market.
With rising production and weak demand, Bangladesh’s potato market is under severe strain. Farmers are calling on the government to act quickly, restart procurement and provide the promised support. Without intervention, the next harvest season could deepen their financial crisis even further.
Source: New Agebd
Image credit: Pixabay by Orhan Can
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