The agriculture ministry has almost doubled the allocation for potato preservation in the current fiscal year in the face of prolonged market volatility.
The project titled "Diversified Use, Conservation, and Marketing Development of Potatoes" initially had an allocation of Tk 71.4 million in FY25. The amount has now been revised to Tk 137.2 million.
Stored potato prices reached an all-time high of Tk 75-85 a kg this year. However, prices have now decreased to Tk 40-60 a kg across the country, thanks to the increased supply of newly harvested varieties.
The Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) under the agriculture ministry has initiated plans to construct model houses for potato preservation.
These structures will be built using bamboo, wood, tin, brick, and RCC pillars in high, open, and partially shaded areas on farmers' premises, according to a DAM official.
The official told The Financial Express the project's original budget was Tk 427.6 million for the period 2022-2026, with Tk 71.4 million initially allocated in FY25.
Under the project, 450 potato preservation model houses will be built across 76 upazilas in 17 districts.
The DAM official said with the completion of the model houses, farmers could preserve nearly 1.0 million tonnes of potato, which could be utilised in the off season.
DAM Director General Md Masud Karim said farmers in Bangladesh are currently cultivating around 40 potato varieties, with annual production reaching approximately 11 million tonnes.
"However, the country's cold storage capacity stands at only 3.0 million tonnes. As production increases, a significant portion of the harvest is wasted due to inadequate storage facilities and a lack of food diversification," he explained.
This not only deprives farmers of fair prices but also burdens consumers with high costs during the off season, he added.
To address these challenges, the project aims to establish proper household-level storage systems for potato, ensuring increased production sustainability and fair market prices.
The project is being implemented in several districts, including Dhaka, Munshiganj, Chattogram, Cumilla, Rangpur, Dinajpur, Thakurgaon, Panchagarh, Rajshahi, Naogaon, Bogura, and Joypurhat.
The government aims to produce over 11 million tonnes of potato in FY25.
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