As the potato harvesting season draws to a close in Thakurgaon, farmers are once again grappling with heavy losses instead of earning profits this year. Old potatoes lying unsold in cold storage have pushed down the prices of newly harvested potatoes, they said, adding that recurring losses have become a grim reality. Over the past 15 years, the farmers have suffered losses in nine seasons. In four of these years, many were unable to recover even their production costs.
Oversupply and limited storage
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Thakurgaon, potatoes were cultivated on 34,725 hectares of land last season, yielding 868,125 metric tons. The district’s 17 cold storage facilities have a combined capacity of just 145,532 metric tons—far short of total production.
With limited storage space, a significant portion of last year’s harvest remained outside cold facilities and was sold by August. However, a large quantity of stored potatoes remained unsold. As new potatoes entered the market, the oversupply further depressed prices.
For the current season, the cultivation target was 28,000 hectares of land, but the farmers grew potatoes on 28,285 hectares of land. Production is expected to reach 700,000 tons.
The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association says cooling machines are typically shut down on November 15 each year. This season, however, facilities remained operational for nearly an additional month due to unsold stocks of potatoes. Even then, 25,000 sacks of potatoes remained unsold at Hawlader Cold Storage in Thakurgaon Sadar, while Giant Cold Storage in Munshirhat area reported 18,000 sacks left at season’s end.
Farmers sell produce at a loss
Prices of newly harvested potatoes usually remain high at the beginning of the season, but visits to Sadar, Pirganj and Baliadangi upazilas reveal widespread distress among growers, many of whom have to sell potatoes below their production costs.
Anwar Hossain, a farmer from Dangipara in Baliadangi upazila, cultivated potatoes on 20 bighas of land last year. Even though production cost was Tk22–25, he sold his potatoes at Tk12–14 per kg. “I incurred heavy losses, so I did not cultivate potatoes this year,” he said.
Khairul Haque, a farmer from Nargun village in Sadar upazila, stored 110 sacks in cold storage but failed to recover storage and related expenses after selling them. He had to pay an additional Tk15,000 from his personal savings.
Another farmer, Shahabuddin, stored 375 sacks of potatoes but chose not to withdraw them after calculating that doing so would require nearly Tk100,000 in additional expenses.
A pattern of volatility
Nurul Huda Swapan, adviser to the Thakurgaon Potato Growers and Traders Welfare Association, told Dhaka Tribune that nine out of the last 15 seasons resulted in losses. “Four of those years were catastrophic. Farmers, traders and cold storage owners all suffered significant financial losses,” he said.
Arman Hossain, general secretary of the Thakurgaon District Cold Storage Association, said: “Across the country, old potatoes remain unsold in cold storage, keeping prices of new potatoes low.”
Mazadul Islam, deputy director of the DAE in Thakurgaon, said record volumes were stored last season, both in cold storage and at farmers’ homes. “When farmers see high profits in one year, many shift to potato cultivation the next year. That often results in overproduction and falling prices,” he said.