Cold storages still have enough space for potato
Tuesday, 25 March 2008
Jasim Uddin Haroon
The country's cold storages are operating below their capacity despite bumper production of potato this year, which has surpassed all previous records, cold storages owners said.
Harvest of potato is expected at around 5.5 million tonnes this year against the 3.5 million tonnes in the previous year, sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said.
Potato production jumped this year mainly due to favourable weather and use of quality seed by the farmers.
Sources said cold storages are receiving insufficient quantity of potatoes as the farmers are holding them at their homesteads. "This is why the cold storages are running below their capacity," said one cold storage owner.
There are about 360 cold storages in the country having storing capacity of around 3.5 million tonnes.
Rashidul Hasan Forhad, managing director of Bogra Multipurpose Cold Storages Limited told the FE that his cold storage had still enough space.
"Only 70 per cent of the capacity of my cold storage is now utilised," Rashidul said adding his cold storage can still hold around 50,000 sacks more.
Nurul Moin Minu, Chairman of M Rahman Cold Storage in Dinajpur said that his cold storage had now plenty of space for preserving potato.
But he hopes to get more supply in the coming days as a number of farmers have booked spaces.
"We are giving spaces to the farmers on a priority basis at my cold storages. But, the rush is not compatible with the quantity of potato produced," Minu said adding the capacity of his cold storage is 10,500 tonnes.
Mohammed Khalek, managing director of Ashrafi Cold Storage in Bogra, said a number of cold storages in Bogra are running far behind their capacity.
"But we expect the farmers to come with large quantity of potato in the coming days," Khalek added.
The country's cold storages are operating below their capacity despite bumper production of potato this year, which has surpassed all previous records, cold storages owners said.
Harvest of potato is expected at around 5.5 million tonnes this year against the 3.5 million tonnes in the previous year, sources at the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) said.
Potato production jumped this year mainly due to favourable weather and use of quality seed by the farmers.
Sources said cold storages are receiving insufficient quantity of potatoes as the farmers are holding them at their homesteads. "This is why the cold storages are running below their capacity," said one cold storage owner.
There are about 360 cold storages in the country having storing capacity of around 3.5 million tonnes.
Rashidul Hasan Forhad, managing director of Bogra Multipurpose Cold Storages Limited told the FE that his cold storage had still enough space.
"Only 70 per cent of the capacity of my cold storage is now utilised," Rashidul said adding his cold storage can still hold around 50,000 sacks more.
Nurul Moin Minu, Chairman of M Rahman Cold Storage in Dinajpur said that his cold storage had now plenty of space for preserving potato.
But he hopes to get more supply in the coming days as a number of farmers have booked spaces.
"We are giving spaces to the farmers on a priority basis at my cold storages. But, the rush is not compatible with the quantity of potato produced," Minu said adding the capacity of his cold storage is 10,500 tonnes.
Mohammed Khalek, managing director of Ashrafi Cold Storage in Bogra, said a number of cold storages in Bogra are running far behind their capacity.
"But we expect the farmers to come with large quantity of potato in the coming days," Khalek added.