No buyers, no joy: Rangpur potato farmers face bleak Eid amid crushing losses

With Eid just a day away, the familiar festive cheer is absent from the homes of hundreds of thousands of potato farming families across the Rangpur region, where unsold harvests and mounting losses have eclipsed celebration.

Fields remain laden with potatoes, yet buyers are scarce. Burdened by debt and repeated losses, many farmers say the joy of Eid has all but vanished.

For the second consecutive year, growers are counting losses from potato cultivation. Large quantities of harvested potatoes lie in the fields, pushing farmers deeper into despair and forcing many families to forgo even basic Eid preparations.

Visits to villages across Lalmonirhat, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Rangpur and Nilphamari districts reveal a stark contrast -- while Eid preparations are in full swing elsewhere, silence hangs over the homes of potato farmers.

Even after selling produce at nearly half the production cost, many remain unable to ease their debt burden, with some losing their entire capital.

Moksedur Rahman, 50, from Nabodiganj in Rangpur, cultivated potatoes on 11 bighas this season at a cost of about Tk 620,000. He harvested around 40,000kg, but managed to sell only 20,000kg for Tk 160,000.

With production costs ranging between Tk 15 and Tk 16 per kilogramme, he has been forced to sell at Tk 8 to Tk 9. To finance cultivation, he took a Tk 400,000 loan from a local NGO, and now faces mounting repayment pressure.

His household -- comprising his elderly mother, wife and three children -- reflects the strain. Though his children had hoped for new clothes, they have fallen silent in the face of their father’s distress.

“I bought vermicelli, sugar and milk for the family, but I could not buy new clothes for anyone,” Moksedur said. “It feels very painful. Even Eid day will pass in sorrow. Last year too, I could not celebrate Eid properly due to losses in potato farming.”

Noor Islam, 55, from Mostofi area in Lalmonirhat Sadar upazila, cultivated potatoes on 15 bighas, hoping to recover last year’s losses. Instead, he faces a similar outcome.

“I am forced to sell potatoes at half the production cost, yet there are no buyers,” he said. “I have no money in hand and could not buy new clothes for my children. Potato farming has ruined me and taken away our Eid joy.”

Rohidul Islam, 50, from Mia Bari village in Rajarhat upazila of Kurigram, described a similar plight.

“I am mentally very distressed due to losses in potato farming. I have repaid some loans by selling potatoes, but still have debts left,” he said.

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Photo: Star

“I have no money in hand. I could not buy new clothes for any family member. I have not even been able to buy vermicelli or sugar yet. I cannot even think of eating meat on Eid day.”

Cultivating 12 bighas, he estimates losses of about Tk 350,000 this year, mirroring last year’s setback.

Atabar Hossain, 65, from Chowdhurani in Pirgachha upazila, said he reduced cultivation this year after last year’s losses, but could not avoid further setbacks.

“There are potatoes in the fields, but no buyers. While Eid brings joy for others, for potato farmers it has become a time of sorrow,” he said.

According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, potato cultivation covered 110,700 hectares across the five districts of the Rangpur region this year, with a production target of around 3.035 million tonnes.

Last year, cultivation spanned 119,709 hectares, yielding about 3.405 million tonnes. Following repeated losses, many farmers have reduced or abandoned potato farming this season.

The region has 71 cold storages with a combined capacity of approximately 764,500 tonnes. However, this falls far short of total production, forcing many farmers to sell at low prices.

Sirajul Islam, additional director of the Rangpur Regional Department of Agricultural Extension, said favourable weather had ensured good yields, but low market prices have left farmers frustrated.

“If opportunities for exporting potatoes are not created, farmers will face a major crisis,” he said, warning that continued losses may erode interest in potato cultivation in the future.