The New Nation - Internet Edition

Staff Reporter

Potato growers have been reeling under frustration due to drastic fall in its price and lack of demand in the markets.

Experts said nearly five lakh tonnes of potato have so far remained unsold adding to the woes of the growers. If the trend continues and the potato growers do not get back their invested capital they will lose interest in its farming. If that happens it will not augur well to the national economy, they noted.

The country's potato production was estimated at 90 lakh tonnes this season.

They pointed out that increased production of potato had saved many marginal people from starvation when prices of rice registered a sharp rise in the recent past.

Being inspired by the government functionaries many people of low income bracket started consuming potato and potato products as the prices of rice shot up beyond their purchasing power.

Sources in the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association said due to dull market of potato, its delivery from the cold storages has slowed down perilously much to the dismay of the cold storage owners.

Huge production of vegetables and their low prices also contributed to the fall in the prices of potato substantially. Its price has now come down to Tk 10/11 per kilogram as against Tk 17/18 a few months ago. The production cost of this commodity stood at Tk 15 per kilogram, sources said.

Experts apprehend that the current low price of potato will certainly discourage the farmers in its cultivation on a wide scale in future. In that event the Government will have to import it spending a huge amount of the hard earned foreign currency, according to the sources.

They called upon the government to take suitable measures to increase its consumption as well as push up its price. The government can prevail on the print and the electronic media to motivate the people to increase its consumption.