Woes of potato growers

The country's potato growers are happy this year as they have achieved a bumper production. But their satisfaction is fading fast as the price of potato is low and the space in the cold storages is quite inadequate to preserve the huge quantity of potatoes. The Potato growers' woes have been intensified by the fact that their produces are being sold at prices below production costs on the one hand and on the other space in cold storage is inadequate and on this ploy the cold storage owners have increased the storage charges.
This year the potato output in the country is estimated at one crore ton as against the target of 75 lakh tons. But the storage capacity of all cold stores is not more than 24 lakh tons. As a result the farmers appear to be at a loss as to how to preserve their crop. According to experts, mainly two factors worked behind the bumper production of potato this year. High price of potato last year prompted the farmers to cultivate this item in additional lands. Moireover, smooth distribution of fertilisers and seeds, policy support and favourable weather conditions have contributed to a good yield this time. But unfortunately, the farmers are being compelled to sell potatoes from their farmlands at throwaway prices to reduce transport and preservation costs, as they have to pay back loans.
According to media reports, in Munshiganj, famous for potato cultivation, potato is selling at Tk 9.50-Tk 11 a kilogram at field level against an average production cost of Tk 17. At wholesale level, a 40-kilogram sack of potato sells at Tk 300-Tk 400, while its production cost is between Tk 400 and Tk 500. Farmers said, "We are forced to sell potato from our fields at low price as it saves our transport costs. Had we preserved the crop in our makeshift stores near our homes, it would also have added to our costs." Even though they wish to preserve potatoes for better prices in the coming months, they have to sell a large portion of their produces to pay back the money they borrowed, they added.
Reports from Rangpur also point to the sales of the item at a rate much below its cost of production because growers there have braced for a large volume of output. The selling price ranges between Tk 550 and Tk 600 for each 84-kilogram sack, while production has cost not less than Tk 650-Tk 700. The farmers arv facing extra trouble as cold storage operators have increased the rent by around 18 percent on the pretext of rise in eelctricity charge etc.
Meanwhile, the experts suggested that the government should set up a number of cold storages across the country to help farmers preserve potato , ensure stability in the market and raise the export incentives for potato to 20 percent from the existing 10 percent. Moreover, efforts should be intensified to enhance export of potatoes abroad at a competative price.
According to reports, there is bright propspect of potato export to Saudi Arabia, Dubai, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapur and Sri Lanka. India and Pakistan export potato to these countries at $200 and $190 per ton respectively. However, Bangladesh exported potato to Dubai at a the rate of $220 per ton. To compete with India and Pakistan in potato export, Bangladesh has to reduce the export price if necessary providing government subsidy. In other words, the government should do every thing necessary to support the farmers and encourage potato production and its export in the greater interest of the country.

  Prices of essentials

Adviser to the Prime Minister HT Imam on Wednesday said the government is now under a sense of pressure over the price-hike of essentials. He urged the business community to cooperate with the government in keeping the prices of essentials stable. The PM's adviser was addressing a function of FBCCI Foundation in the city on Wednesday. Addressing the function, Commerce Minister Faruk Khan blamed a small section of unscrupulous businesspeople for the price-hike of essentials.
The adviser, who is a former bureaucrat , has only said that the government is under 'a sense of pressure' over the price-hike of essentials. But the fact remains that the entire nation is over-burdened with this pressure and is groaning under the pangs of growing hardship due to this. Maybe, people like advisers, ministers and MPs do not have to feel the pinch of skyrocketing of the prices of essentials, but ordinary people suffer terribly as there is no let up in the tyranny of the market prices.
Everyone knows, one of the major electoral pledges of this government was to bring down the prices of essentials under control and at tolerable level. It can not be denied that they largely succeeded in this regard at the outset of their rule, but the situation has changed now and the prices of essentials have gone beyond the purchasing capacity of the common men again. Mysteriously, prices of rice have soared alarmingly despite bumper production in the country. Ministers are alleging that syndicates of businessmen are behind the price spiral. But they fail to reply why do not they break these syndicates in the public interest.
It goes without saying that such allegation of syndication or comment that the government is under 'sense of pressure' will not help the people. They need and want the prices of essentials to be brought down and that has to be done by the government.