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Published : 08 May 2026, 12:48 PM
Despite good potato production in Rangpur, farmers have been suffering losses for several years due to low prices. At the same time, because of insufficient cold storage capacity, potatoes stored at home are rotting. This has left farmers in a double crisis.
Farmers say production costs have increased, but market prices have not kept pace. Potatoes stored at home in hopes of higher prices have started to rot. They are now being forced to sell potatoes at Tk 8 to Tk 9 per Kg, resulting in a loss of Tk 7 to Tk 8 taka per kg.
The Department of Agricultural Extension says many farmers want to store potatoes in cold storage instead of selling immediately, but lack of space has made that impossible.
Around 76 percent of the total potatoes produced in Rangpur have no storage facilities.
According to the Rangpur Department of Agricultural Marketing, in 2025 the eight districts of Rangpur Division had 115 cold storage facilities with a total capacity of 1.129,035 tonnes. Around 1,116,455 tonnes were stored there.
The cold storage rent was fixed at Tk 6.25 per kg.
This year, potato production reached 5.1 million tonnes, while storage capacity remained 1.1 million tonnes. That means only 22 percent of total production can be stored.
However, two new cold storages in Rangpur and one in Kurigram were built this year, slightly increasing capacity compared to last year.
Sirajul Islam, Rangpur deputy director of the Department of Agricultural Extension, said in the 2025–26 season, potatoes were cultivated on 197,696 hectares across the eight districts of Rangpur Division.
Although the cultivated land area was lower than last year, production was good.
In Rangpur district alone, around 1.8 million tonnes of potatoes were produced. The highest cultivation took place in Rangpur Sadar, Gangachara, Taraganj, and Pirgachha Upazilas.
Sirajul said, “Production has been good this year, but limited cold storage capacity has created pressure on preservation. We are advising farmers and have informed the relevant authorities about the need for new cold storage facilities.”
There are 40 cold storages in Rangpur district—one government-owned and the rest privately owned. Their combined capacity is around 416,300 tonnes, far below total production.
As a result, most potatoes remain in farmers’ homes.
Recently, extreme heat and continuous rain have caused potatoes stored at home to rot. In Gangachara Upazila especially, many farmers are dumping sacks of potatoes beside fields and roadsides.
Farmers say besides the shortage of cold storage space, storage rent is also high, making preservation unaffordable.
Many are forced to sell cheaply, while others who stored potatoes at home hoping for better prices are now throwing them away due to spoilage.
Field-level observations show that potato production costs range from Tk 15 to Tk 20 per Kg. If stored in cold storage, costs rise to Tk 20 to Tk25 per Kg. But wholesale prices are only Tk 8 to Tk 9 per Kg.
Meanwhile, the same potatoes sell for Tk 20 per kg in retail markets.
Farmer Murad Hossain from Chowrar Hat area of Gangachara said he cultivated potatoes on 37 “Don” of land (each Don equals 28 decimal). His cost per don was around Tk 29,000.
At current market prices, he cannot recover even half his expenses.
Another farmer, Mahiful Islam, said with frustration: “What more can I say? No one cares about us farmers. I cultivated potatoes on 14 Don of land. Some potatoes are in cold storage, and some are at home.”
“The potatoes I kept at home because I couldn’t get space in cold storage are getting spoiled. For small farmers like us, this is a huge loss. If I can’t sell within a few days, everything will rot. But there are no buyers. If buyers come, they offer only Tk 8.5.”
Nazmunnahar Begum, a buyer at Mahiganj market, said potato prices in the market rise and fall, but consumers do not permanently benefit from low prices even when farmers suffer.
Retail seller Harun Or Rashid said, “We sell according to the wholesale purchase price. If prices fall, our profit also falls.”
Potato trader Rashed Mia from Rangpur City Market said: “This year supply is very high. Because there is not enough cold storage space, farmers are selling together at the same time, which has reduced prices.”
Trader Zahurul Islam Johu added that high supply has lowered prices, and because cold storage is limited, farmers are selling all at once, causing further declines.
He also said potato exports have decreased due to fuel shortages abroad.
A private cold storage owner said operating costs -- including electricity, maintenance, and loans -- are very high. Expanding capacity is not easy without government support.
Mazedul Islam, manager of Rangpur Krishan Cold Storage, said more cold storages are needed in the area because potato cultivation is high.
He said, “We have stored potatoes according to demand. But there is concern that the potatoes may not be released in time. That would harm both farmers and cold storage owners.”
