Bangladesh imports potato for first time

Bangladesh, which usually exports potato, has imported the tuber for the first time for domestic consumption in a frantic effort to curb spiraling prices of the popular vegetable.

Yesterday, nine trucks carried 175 tonnes of potato from India into the country through Hili land port and more consignments are waiting to be imported, port officials said.

Until now, the agriculture ministry has given permits to import 1.07 lakh tonnes of potatoes, said Rezaul Karim, director of the plant quarantine wing of the Department of Agricultural Extension.

On October 30, the commerce ministry decided to allow potato imports for the first time in an effort to increase supply of the tuber and curb prices, which have reached a historic high of Tk 60 per kilogramme (kg) in Dhaka.

Mohammad Masum, chairman of Supreme Seed Company Ltd, a leading seed company, said potato was never imported into the country for consumption in the past as far as his knowledge.

"Now, we will see whether prices fall," he said.

Earlier, 14 importers obtained permission to bring in 12,000 tonnes of potato, according to the Hili Land Port Importers and Exporters Group in Hakimpur upazila of Dinajpur.

As such, the shipment that arrived yesterday is the first of more to come, they added.

The potatoes were produced at Gangarampur upazila of Dakshin Dinajpur in India's West Bengal, said Mahbub Alam, clearing and forwarding agent of the importers.

Shahidul Islam, an importer of Hili land port, said he was given the go-ahead to import around 2,500 tonnes of potato from India.

The cost per kilogramme (kg) of potato will be around Tk 30 to Tk 32 after paying all charges, including transportation costs and duty, he added.

Harun-ur-Rashid, president of the Hili Land Port Importers and Exporters Group, said potato prices will reduce to some extent after fresh stocks hit the market.

Tia Roy, a retail vendor of Railbazar Hat in Dinajpur town, said he was selling the cardinal variety of potatoes at Tk 44 per kg yesterday and the local varieties at Tk 58 per kg.