Letters to the Editor
Increase potato storage facilities
In 2012-13 fiscal year, Bangladesh has produced a record of 8.6 million tons of potatoes which has surpassed all the previous records. Potato is the most consumed carbohydrate-rich vegetable in Bangladesh. Potatoes provide several key nutrients such as vitamin C, potassium, and dietary fiber.
It is unfortunate that although we are producing a huge quantity of potatoes in our country, the storage facilities are very limited. According to Bangladesh Cold Storage Association, the country has a storage capacity of 4.2 million tons of potatoes at its 382 cold storages, which is less than half of the total production. Every year a huge quantity of potatoes get rotten due to insufficient cold storage facilities. Moreover, only a few industries are producing potato chips, fries, etc. in the country.
The government should take some initiative to increase the cold storage facilities and ensure constant power supply for smooth operation of these cold storages. At the same time, private sector should be given some incentives to set up potato processing plants in rural areas.
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