Rangpur farmers dump potatoes as prices crash below cost

RANGPUR, May 9 (UNB)-For potato farmers in Rangpur a bumper harvest has turned into a season of despair, as falling prices and lack of storage capacities compel many to throw away their produce.
Farmers say it costs about Tk 18 to produce one kilogram of potato while they are being forced to sell at just Tk 5-6 per kg. With cold storages already full and no alternative preservation system, many have no option but to discard their harvest.
Additional director of Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), Rangpur Sirajul Islam said, farmers Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha and nine upazilas in Lalmonirhat are struggling to store their produce, leaving them in a vulnerable situation.
He said thhe total losses could reach around Tk 60 million.
The crisis is most severe in Gangachara upazila of Rangpur, where a bumper harvest has turned into a season of losses.
During visits to Chengmari and Courier Mor areas in Gangachara upazila on Thursday, this correspondent found hundreds of sacks of rotten potatoes dumped along roadsides. In several places, piles of decomposing potatoes were emitting a foul smell.
Farmers and traders blamed the situation on a sharp price fall and lack of storage facilities, which left them unable to sell their produce in time.
DAE data shows that potatoes were cultivated on 5,310 hectares of land in Gangachara this season, producing around 154,207 tonnes, exceeding local demand.
Currently, potatoes are selling at Tk 6-7 per kg in wholesale markets, while farmers are getting only Tk 4-5 per kg at the farm gate - far below the production cost of Tk 18-19.