Adequate power supply to cold storages demanded
Saturday, 28 March 2009
FE Report
Cold storage owners urged the government to guarantee supply of uninterrupted power to help store potatoes and potato-seeds in cold storages across the country aiming at ensuring food security.
The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Wednesday in a press release said this year's harvest of potatoes and potato-seeds are being stored in over 300 cold storages across the country and the preservation work would continue until April.
"Uninterrupted power supply with adequate voltage (380-440 volts) to cold storages is a must for preserving potatoes. But unfortunately, the potato preservation system has become risky in cold storages across the country including Munshiganj thanks to frequent power outage and low voltage supply of power," the press release mentioned.
The power situation in Munshiganj, country's largest potato producing region with the highest number of cold storage facilities, has turned acute. 75 per cent potato preservation work in 73 cold storages of the region has already been completed. But the storage activities are being hampered due to acute power shortage, it said.
"Power frequently snaps during the day-time and the supply remains disrupted at a stretch for most of the night."
The press release said although most of the cold storages have stand-by generators, but the owners cannot run those for long time due to high prices and unavailability of diesel and mobil. Moreover, the cost of running cold storage with generator is about ten times higher, it said.
"Potatoes and potato-seeds worth millions of taka will perish and stakeholders such as farmers, businessmen, owners of the cold storages and banks will bear the brunt of the financial loss, if the current situation persists."
"As a result, the potato-growers will be discouraged to grow potatoes in future, which will jeopardise country's food security."
The general manager of Munshiganj Rural Electrification Board in a meeting Monday said that it would be tough to keep the cold storages of the district up and running, if additional power is not supplied, the press release mentioned.
The cold storage owners are disappointed as effective steps have not yet been taken despite their request to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Power Development Board, Rural Electrification Board and Dhaka Electric Supply Company early March to supply power with adequate voltage, the press release stated.
Cold storage owners urged the government to guarantee supply of uninterrupted power to help store potatoes and potato-seeds in cold storages across the country aiming at ensuring food security.
The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Wednesday in a press release said this year's harvest of potatoes and potato-seeds are being stored in over 300 cold storages across the country and the preservation work would continue until April.
"Uninterrupted power supply with adequate voltage (380-440 volts) to cold storages is a must for preserving potatoes. But unfortunately, the potato preservation system has become risky in cold storages across the country including Munshiganj thanks to frequent power outage and low voltage supply of power," the press release mentioned.
The power situation in Munshiganj, country's largest potato producing region with the highest number of cold storage facilities, has turned acute. 75 per cent potato preservation work in 73 cold storages of the region has already been completed. But the storage activities are being hampered due to acute power shortage, it said.
"Power frequently snaps during the day-time and the supply remains disrupted at a stretch for most of the night."
The press release said although most of the cold storages have stand-by generators, but the owners cannot run those for long time due to high prices and unavailability of diesel and mobil. Moreover, the cost of running cold storage with generator is about ten times higher, it said.
"Potatoes and potato-seeds worth millions of taka will perish and stakeholders such as farmers, businessmen, owners of the cold storages and banks will bear the brunt of the financial loss, if the current situation persists."
"As a result, the potato-growers will be discouraged to grow potatoes in future, which will jeopardise country's food security."
The general manager of Munshiganj Rural Electrification Board in a meeting Monday said that it would be tough to keep the cold storages of the district up and running, if additional power is not supplied, the press release mentioned.
The cold storage owners are disappointed as effective steps have not yet been taken despite their request to the Ministry of Power, Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Power Development Board, Rural Electrification Board and Dhaka Electric Supply Company early March to supply power with adequate voltage, the press release stated.