Govt raises potato price ceiling to Tk 35 a kg as traders defy limits

After failing to keep potato prices below the fixed rate of Tk 30 a kg, the government has raised the ceiling at the retail level to Tk 35 per kg.

The Department of Agricultural Marketing also fixed the maximum price at Tk 27 per kg at cold storages and Tk 30 per kg in the wholesale market on Tuesday.

The department sat with the ministry officials and representatives of the traders to reset the prices, according to a statement.

It also asked the deputy commissioners to take steps to keep the prices within the limits in their districts.

The government had recently fixed potato prices at maximum Tk 23 per kg at the cold storages, Tk 25 at the wholesale markets and Tk 30 at the retail level, but the retail prices remained as high as Tk 50 per kg.

The government later decided to sell potato through the dealers of the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh at Tk 25 per kg.