Preserve potatoes
Photo: Shafiq Islam / Driknews
For the last couple of years, in harvesting season the government of Bangladesh has been providing supportive price to rice growers as price goes too low in harvesting time. The government purchases rice and paddy in different surplus rice growing areas. On the other hand, during the lean season when price goes too high the government releases that purchased rice at reasonable price to bring down the price and reduce suffering of general public. Both the interests of growers as well as consumers are well taken care of. This strategy is essential for potato growers as well. Recently, most of the national newspapers reported that about ten million metric tons of potato has been produced in current season throughout Bangladesh, which is the highest quantity ever produced here. Harvesting season of potato is closing. Growers are getting Tk 5.00 to Tk 6.00 per kg but the consumers are purchasing that at Tk 13.00 to Tk 14.00 in retail markets. Only three million metric tons of potato could be stored in existing cold storages. That is, a big quantity of potato will rot owing to lack of storage facilities. In general, consumers have to purchase potato at a very high price. As an instance, it can be recalled that last year one kg potato was sold even at Tk 34.00 in Dhaka city retail markets but the hard working poor growers did not get the high price. The government should intervene and set up 65 cold storages in 65 districts. The cold storages could be constructed by and operated under the management of Bangladesh Agriculture Development Corporation (BADC). It would help provide price support to growers, save a good quantity from rotting and maintain a reasonable price level for the consumers. A portion of the capacity of the cold storages may also be used to store potato seeds of BADC, which is very much essential for having the targeted production regularly.
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