Potato price hiked by Tk 10 in a month

Staff Correspondent: The price of potatoes is increasing. In the last one month, the price of vegetable food products in the market of the capital has increased by Tk 10 per kg. Retail traders claim that the price of potatoes has increased at the freezer gate. This has affected the retail market. The owners of cold stores say that during the season, many people have bought potatoes at a low price and stored them in cold stores. The price at which the Himagara is being sold at the gate is high.
A few months ago, potato was sold at a price of around Tk 50 in the retail market of Dhaka. Yesterday, it was found that in Karwan Bazar, Mohakhali raw market and Malibagh of the capital, potato is being sold at the rate of Tk 58 to Tk 60 per kg. However, it has to be bought in area-based small markets and mahallas for Tk 60 to Tk 65.
Traders say that many farmers have picked and sold unripe potatoes due to high prices this season. As a result, potato production was not as per the target. Moreover, due to the increase in the production cost, the farmers have also increased the prices.

According to data from the government marketing agency Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB), the price of potatoes in the capital market has increased by about 12 per cent in the last month and 56 per cent in a year. According to the daily report of the organization, at this time last year, the retail price of potato was Tk 35 to Tk 38 per kg. As such, the price of potatoes has almost doubled in a year.
Potato prices hit a record in October last year. Then the price per kg rose to Tk 70. However, this rate did not last long.
According to the information of the Department of Agricultural Extension, this year potato production has been more than 1 crore 9 lakh tonnes. But according to the cold storage owners, the production has been 70 to 75 lakh tonnes. The annual demand of potatoes in the country is more than 90 lakh tonnes. There is a shortfall of 10 to 15 lakh tonnes.
President of Bangladesh Cold Storage Association Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu told that 2.4 million tons of potatoes are stored in cold storages. If used only as food, four-five months will pass easily with this amount of potatoes. But the stock traders and farmers who have stored potatoes in the cold storage, if they release the potatoes at a slow pace, there will be a risk of price increase.
The former senior vice-president of FBCCI said that those who have bought potatoes at the rate of Tk 25 will still make a profit even if they sell wholesale at the rate of Tk 35 at the Himagara gate. But currently it is being sold in cold storage at Tk 45 to Tk 49 per kg. It’s too much.