Potatoes lying stocked in Nilphamari cold storages

Our Correspondent NILPHAMARI, Oct 11: Although cold storage owners duly informed the farmers and traders to take release of their stock of potato within October 15, the traders are reluctant to take delivery of their potatoes at this time as the price of per sack of potato has come down and as such they will have to sustain loss. Sources said total storage capacity of potato in 9 cold storages in Nilphamari district is 58,000 metric tonnes and almost the entire amount of it is lying with the cold storages. Sources said total cost of a sack of potato including purchasing, storage and related expenditure is Tk. 1100 but the current market price is Tk. 500 to 600 per sack. Thereby a preserver is about to lose Tk. 400 to 500 per sack in the existing market price scenario. Sources said potato preserving in the cold storages by the traders which was so lucrative over the last few years seems to be very frustrating for them this year.