UNB, Naogaon: The potato farmers in Naogaon district staged a demonstration in front of Sadar Upazila Parishad on Wedesday after dumping potatoes on a road demanding that the price of potatoes be fixed by the government.
The farmers under the banner of ‘Naogaon, Bogura and Joypurhat Farmers Family’, formed a human chain around 11:30 am.
Farmers and potato traders from Naogaon, Bogura, and Joypurhat districts joined the protest.
Farmers said the current market prices of potatoes are less than half of the production cost and they are incurring a loss of Tk 17-18 per kg.
Many took out loans from banks and NGOs to cultivate potatoes and are now unable to repay them due to the sharp drop in market prices.
Abdul Jalil, a farmer from Kittipur village in Naogaon Sadar Upazila, said, “The price of phosphate fertilizer is already very high and from the beginning of this season, potato prices have remained low. We're not even recovering our investment. If the government can fix prices for paddy and rice, why not potatoes? We demand that the government set a fair price for potatoes immediately.”
Bulbul Islam, another farmer from Baktarpur village in the upazila, said, “Rice and paddy prices are high in the market, but potatoes have no value. Even cold storage facilities are charging us more. It cost us Tk 1,200 to 1,300 to produce one maund (approx. 37 kg) of potatoes, but we’re being forced to sell them at Tk 500 to 600 per maund. Where do we go from here? If the government doesn't step in, we’re finished.”
Saiful Alam, a potato farmer from Hapania, said, “I sold my cattle and took loans from NGOs to grow potatoes, hoping for some profit. But now, potatoes aren't even selling. Cold storages are charging Tk 4 more per kg than last year. The cost of producing and storing one kg of potatoes is around Tk 25 to 26, but the wholesale price in the market is only Tk 11 to 12. I’m not even thinking about repaying loans—right now, I’m worried about recovering my basic expenses.”
Sohag Sarker, marketing officer of Department of Agricultural Marketing said, “Potato production this year is good and it exceeded demand. During this time of year, the market has a good supply of other vegetables, which reduces consumer demand for potatoes. The government is considering selling potatoes through OMS (Open Market Sale) or TCB (Trading Corporation of Bangladesh) to help stabilise prices.”
