OUR CORRESPONDENT
BOGURA, Jan 10: Prices of newly-harvested potatoes in Bogura have hit all-time lowest as large volumes of old stock remain unsold in the market, widening losses for farmers already struggling after a difficult previous season.
Farmers are selling new potatoes at rock-bottom prices, despite returns remaining well below the production cost.
"Farmers are in a state of panic because they suffered huge losses last year," said a trader at a wholesale market in Bogura.
Potato production surged nationwide in the 2024-25 season, creating a supply glut. In March last year, farmers sold potatoes at Tk14-15 per kg, but the market became increasingly volatile from July.Recently, a 60-kg sack of old potatoes sold for Tk150-180 at the gate of Himadri Cold Storage in Shibganj, equivalent to Tk2.5-3.0 per kg for Asterix and Courage varieties. At the Mahasthan wholesale market, the old potatoes traded at Tk4-5 per kg. In contrast, early-variety potatoes are currently selling at Tk10-12 per kg at farm level and Tk15-17 per kg at wholesale markets, compared to Tk30-40 per kg at the same time last year.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), potato cultivation in Bogura rose by 15 per cent in the FY2024-25 compared to the previous year.
But the area under cultivation in FY2025-26 has declined by about 6,000 hectares, reflecting growing farmer distress.
Stakeholders say many farmers have reached a point where profitability is no longer a consideration.
With few alternatives outside agriculture, they continue planting despite repeated losses.
Mokhles Mia, a farmer from Betgari village in Shibganj upazila, said he sold a dairy cow for Tk80,000 to finance potato cultivation on five bighas of land this year.
"No matter how big the loss, we have to keep growing potatoes," he said. "Field crops sometimes bring profits, sometimes losses."
Bogura district set a production target of 1.2 million tonnes of potatoes from 55,060 hectares for the 2024-25 season.
Actual cultivation exceeded expectations, covering 60,435 hectares and producing more than 1.3 million tonnes.
Cold storage facilities in the Bogura region have a combined capacity of about 505,000 tonnes with a significant capacity remaining with old potatoes.
Parimal Biswas, a member of the Cold Storage Owners' Association, estimated that assuming a loss of Tk10 per kg, total losses at cold storages in the region amount to Tk5.05 billion.
He said the government had announced plans to purchase 50,000 tonnes of potatoes to reduce farmer losses and set a minimum price of Tk22 per kg at cold storage gates.
However, more than four months after the agriculture ministry's announcement on August 27, no purchases have been made and farmers have not received the guaranteed price. As a result, prices have fallen further in both cold storages and open markets, pushing already distressed farmers deeper into crisis.
Tofazzal Hossain, senior vice-president of the Greater Bogura Cold Storage Owners' Association, said the crisis stemmed from overproduction, limited export opportunities and weak market management.
High prices in November 2024 encouraged farmers to expand cultivation, but excess supply and delays in government intervention have left the market oversupplied.
Bogura, the country's largest potato-producing district, has seen a gradual decline in cultivation in recent years due to persistent losses.
Experts warn that a continued fall in potato production could disrupt the balance of agricultural crops.
Dr AKM Zakaria, former director of the Bogura Rural Development Academy, said farmers were not abandoning potato farming altogether but reducing acreage due to rising costs and price uncertainty.
Last year's oversupply led to stockpiles of old potatoes in cold storages, suppressing demand for new produce.
"This has caused significant financial losses, with farmers becoming hostage to middlemen as government-set prices are not enforced," he said, warning of potential supply disruptions in future seasons. The DAE said efforts were under way to expand marketing channels and improve productivity through better potato varieties.
Its district deputy director Sohel Md Shamsuddin Firoz said that while the cultivated area may decline, there was no immediate cause for concern.
"Even if acreage decreases, there is nothing to fear," he said. "New high-yield varieties have been developed, and improved productivity should help farmers recover losses."
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