In Bangladesh, there are some perishable crops, including potatoes and onions, whose prices fall abnormally during the season.
The farmers are left with nothing. The price they get for the crops they produce by working hard does not even cover the cost of production. Then, as the season ends, their prices start to skyrocket.
According to a newspaper report yesterday, farmers increased potato cultivation this year due to high prices last season. Even not a month ago, the price of potato per kg was 75-80 taka. As a result, more potatoes have been produced than the demand.
Now, as the price of potatoes has fallen in the market, farmers are forced to sell at a loss of seven to eight taka per kg. Because they can’t even store potatoes in the cold storage due to the high rent.
In this situation, the government has taken a initiative to increase potato exports. According to a data of the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE), potato production in the country has exceeded 19 million tons.
On the other hand, the demand is 9 million tons, that is, more than production is more than the demand. Although some potatoes have been exported every year for the past several years, the quantity is very small. Due to the potato crisis in the last year, about one lakh tons of potatoes had to be imported.
In the first seven months of the current fiscal year, exports have been close to 12,000 tons. In such a situation, how much potatoes can be exported this year? Even if double or even 100,000 tons can be exported, there will still be an excess of about two million tons.
Reportedly, the farmers are being forced now to sell potatoes for 10-12 taka per kg. While their production cost is about 20 taka. So how will farmers cope with this loss?
Under this circumstance if some government agencies quickly buy some quantity of potatoes from farmers at a fair price and store them in cold storage, then the farmers will be saved to some extent. It can also be released in the market during the crisis.
And not only potatoes, such measures can be taken in the season for some other perishable crops.
We hope that modern cold storage facilities and conservation measures should be rapidly expanded by the government agencies to protect farmers and regulate the market.
