RAJSHAHI, Mar 29: Potato growers in the district can't lift their farming costs by selling their potatoes at cheaper prices, that is Tk 8-9 per kg.
Most growers are throwing out their potatoes while others are keeping their harvested potatoes in fields. Some are not harvesting potatoes at all.
Grower Rafiqul Islam of Krishnapur Village in Tanore Upazila said, the potato harvesting began in the end of February; firstly per kilogram was selling at Tk 12-13; now per kg is selling at Tk 8-9.
This year, per bigha yielding was 69 maunds while the sale of per bigha potato stands at Tk 24,000-25,000.
Grower Rafiqul Islam said, "I cultivated potato on lease lands at Tk 27,000 per bigha. My cultivation cost was Tk 35,000. This year the loss will be Tk 35,000 per bigha."
Grower Mazharul Islam of Basantakedar Village of Mohonpur said, "Despite advance booking of cold storage, I could not store my potatoes. By cancelling our bookings, leaders of different political parties are allowed to keep potatoes. We are drying our potatoes in fields."
According to sources at the Department of Agriculture Extension (DAE)-Tanore, this season potato was cultivated on about 40,000 hectares (ha) of land against the target of 37,378 ha. A total of 11 lakh tonnes (mt) of potato production is likely. But the capacity of cold storage in Rajshahi is about four lakh mt of total 36 cold storages. About seven lakh mt of potatoes will remain out of storing.
Grower of Aradighi Village in Tanore Upazila Mojibur Rahman said, "I got 7,000 bags of potato from 40 bighas. I booked cold storage advance. After storing half of the potatoes, manager is not receiving potatoes. In the last week, I harvested potatoes and kept these piled in fields."
He complained, by applying party influence, a syndicate is forcibly managing storing of growers' potatoes in cold storages. In the name of getting them space, they are extorting money from growers."
Manager of Rahman Cold Storage Abdul Munim said, "Men of parties are coming to keep some potatoes. We can't tell them 'no'."
Grower of Jahanabad area in Mohanpur Union Jahidul Karim said, "We, the growers, are victims of all ways. We are not getting spaces in cold storages. This year's cold storage fare has been increased to Tk 8 from Tk 4 per kg in the last year."
Additional Director of the DAE Dr Motaldeb Hossain said, in the absence of storing space, the potato supply is higher in markets. That is why the potato prices have come down abnormally, the official added.
