The retail price of potatoes should not be more than Tk 35-36 per kilogramme right now, said the leaders of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) today.

At cold storage gates, the vegetable is now being sold at Tk 26-27 a kg, they said at a press conference at the BCSA's office in Dhaka.

Some unscrupulous businesses are making at least Tk 10 extra profit by selling potatoes at Tk 45-46 a kg in the retail markets, said BCSA President Mostafa Azad Chowdhury.

Data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh showed that retailers were selling potatoes at Tk 42-45 per kg in the kitchen markets in the capital.

Chowdhury said low production of the popular vegetable is another reason behind the price hike.

He said the total production of potatoes will not be more than 85 lakh tonnes this year against the government's estimate of 1.12 crore tonnes.