Potatoes pile up, losses mount in Joypurhat

Potato farmers and traders in Joypurhat are facing mounting losses as the price of stored potatoes remains below production and preservation costs, with thousands of tonnes still lying in cold storages.

“I cultivated potatoes on around two and a half bighas of land. As prices were low during the harvest season, I stored all the potatoes in a cold storage, hoping to sell them later at a higher price and repay my loans. But now I am losing Tk450-500 on every sack,” said Tota Mia, a potato farmer from Balai village in Kalai upazila.

“Forget repaying the loans, my debt is increasing every day. I do not know what to do,” he said.
Tota Mia is not alone. Many potato farmers and traders across Joypurhat are facing a similar crisis as low market prices, rising storage charges and other expenses have pushed them into losses.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension and related sources, around 216,000 tonnes of seed and table potatoes have been stored in 22 cold storages across Joypurhat district. A large quantity of the potatoes is still in storage.

Farmers and traders fear that releasing a huge volume of potatoes within the next three months could increase supply and push prices down further.

They are also worried that the arrival of early-season potatoes in the market will put additional pressure on prices of the stored potatoes.

Tota Mia said the cost of storing and handling his potatoes had pushed his cost to around Tk1,300 per sack.

“Now the potatoes are selling for Tk800-850 per sack. That means I am losing Tk450-500 on every sack,” he said.

He urged the government to take immediate measures to protect farmers from further losses.
“Farmers like us need government support. We are already burdened with loans.

The government should take urgent steps so that we can survive and support our families,” he said.
Traders Also in Trouble
The slump in potato prices has also hit traders.
Local potato trader Sohel Rana said he was currently losing around Tk300 on every sack.
“It costs around Tk1,150 to buy a sack of potatoes and store it in a cold storage. But now we can sell it for Tk850-870,” he said.

“We have been counting losses for two consecutive years. If this continues, it will be difficult to keep the business running,” he said.

He suggested that the government take immediate steps to increase potato exports.
“Even if exports do not bring us profit, they could at least help us recover our capital,” he said.
Cold Storage Business Hit

The depressed potato market has also affected cold-storage businesses. Many farmers and traders are reluctant to take potatoes out of storage because of the low prices.

Ayub Ali, manager of Salamin Cold Storage in Kalai, said farmers, traders and cold-storage owners were all suffering.

“Potato imports and exports have declined. As sales have fallen, storage charges are not being recovered properly. Electricity costs have also increased, while frequent load-shedding forces us to operate generators using diesel,” he said.

According to him, Salamin Foods Ltd has a storage capacity of around 145,000 sacks. So far, around 45,000 sacks have been taken out, leaving nearly 100,000 sacks in storage.

“Taking out such a huge quantity of potatoes within just three months could become almost impossible,” Ayub Ali said.

He noted that the situation was very different from the same period last year, when significantly more potatoes had already been released from storage.

Rising Storage Costs Add to Losses
Farmers and traders said storage and other costs have increased this year.

In some places, storing potatoes costs as much as Tk300-400 per sack. Including production, transportation, labour, storage and other expenses, the total cost of a 60kg sack has risen to around Tk1,150-1,300.

Yet potatoes are currently being sold from cold storages for only Tk800-870 per sack, leaving farmers and traders with losses of several hundred taka per sack.

Potato farmer Roki Fakir of Thupsara in Kalai municipality said farmers had already spent heavily on fertiliser, seeds, labour and irrigation.

“After spending so much on production, we had to pay again to store the potatoes. At the current price, we cannot recover even the full cost,” he said.

“If we keep the potatoes in storage for longer, the costs will rise further. But selling them now also means a loss. We are trapped from both sides,” he added.

Concern Over Next Season
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, around 216,000 tonnes of seed and table potatoes have been stored in 22 cold storages across Joypurhat. However, officials said there are some discrepancies in information regarding the number of cold storages at the upazila level and that the final figures should be verified.

Joypurhat Deputy Director of Agricultural Extension Md Manju Alam Sarker said potato production had been high in the district last season and yields were also good.

“However, because supply in the market is high, farmers are not getting the expected prices,” he said.

If prices rise, he said, farmers and traders could recover some of their losses. But if low prices and losses continue, potato cultivation could decline in Joypurhat next season.

Farmers, traders and cold-storage operators are calling for immediate government intervention to address the crisis. They have demanded expansion of export opportunities, development of new markets and coordinated measures to facilitate the marketing of potatoes currently in storage.

Ayub Ali said, “Steps must be taken so that farmers, traders and cold-storage owners can all survive. Everyone is being affected by the current potato market crisis.”

For farmers like Tota Mia, the uncertainty is particularly painful.

“We work hard, take loans and store our crops hoping to get a better price. But if selling the crop only increases our debt, how will we return to the fields next year?” he asked.

The potatoes stored in hope of better prices have now become a source of mounting anxiety for farmers and traders across Joypurhat. Unless prices improve and effective measures are taken soon, many fear they could lose not only their expected profits but also their working capital.