Prices of early variety potato have dropped sharply in Bogra due to a surge in supply, leaving farmers worried as market rates fail to cover rising production costs.
Farmers from Chandihara, Lahiripara and Telihara villages in Sadar upazila said that early variety potatoes sold for Tk1,800 to Tk2,400 per maund last year, when demand for new potatoes was high. This season, however, prices have fallen drastically to between Tk700 and Tk1,300 per maund, causing significant losses for growers.
Farmers said that production cost has increased this year due to higher prices of fertiliser, seeds, pesticides, irrigation, and labour. Despite increased expenses, low market prices have heightened concerns over financial losses.
In Bogra’s wholesale markets, new potatoes were sold at Tk18 to Tk32 per kilogram from Thursday to Saturday, depending on quality. At the retail level, prices ranged between Tk25 and Tk40 per kilogram.
Wholesale traders attributed the price fall to the large stock of old potatoes still available in the market. They said last year’s potatoes were sold at low prices throughout the year, and most cold-storage facilities remain full, reducing demand for newly harvested potatoes.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) in Bogra, early potatoes were cultivated on nearly 2,000 hectares of land this year, with an average yield of about 17 metric tons per hectare. The overall potato cultivation target for the current season was set at 55,750 hectares, down from 60,435 hectares last year.
Faridur Rahman, Sub-Assistant Agriculture Officer of the DAE, said that potato prices remained low throughout last year, prompting the authorities concerned to reduce the cultivation target this season. He added that early potato prices have dropped due to a surge in supply of old potatoes.
