Cold storage operators urge govt to include potato in social safety net scheme

The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) has urged the government to include 10 kilograms of potatoes per household under its Food-Friendly Programme.

The food ministry provides rice at Tk 15 per kilogram to 55 lakh poor and low-income families under the programme.

"This will increase potato consumption, stabilise the market, and reassure farmers that the government is standing beside them," said Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, president of the association, in a letter sent to the commerce ministry on July 20.

The association said more than 35 lakh tonnes of potatoes are currently stored in over 350 cold storages across the country.

The BCSA also called on the government to fix a minimum price of Tk 25 per kilogram at cold storage gates to protect farmers from losses.

Record production this year, estimated at 1.30 crore tonnes, has exceeded national demand by about 40 lakh tonnes, leading to a price slump.

Potatoes are now selling at Tk 13 to Tk 15 per kg at cold storage gates.

However, the association said the cost of production at the farm level is about Tk 17 per kg, and when storage and handling costs are included, the total cost rises to approximately Tk 25 per kg.

"This price crash has put farmers at severe economic risk," the letter stated. "To avoid a disaster, a minimum gate price of Tk 25 per kg is urgently needed."

The association warned that without intervention, farmers might cut cultivation next year, risking shortages and sharp price hikes like those in 2024.