Bangladesh’s potato farmers are facing a dire predicament that threatens the sustainability of a crucial agricultural sector. Overproduction, falling market prices, and soaring cold storage fees have combined to create a perfect storm of challenges that could undermine the livelihoods of thousands of farmers across northern regions.
This season’s potato harvest has far exceeded planned targets, with cultivation areas and yields surging well beyond projections. While an abundant harvest might seem promising, the resulting market glut has driven wholesale prices to record lows. In several regions, potatoes are now selling at prices that fail to cover production costs, leaving farmers to face losses on every sale. For instance, in some areas, potatoes that once fetched prices commensurate with their production expenses are now trading at significantly reduced rates, further squeezing already tight profit margins.
The situation has worsened due to a contentious hike in cold storage fees. Recently, the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association increased the fee from 5 Bangladeshi Taka (BDT) per kilogram (around USD 0.04) to 8 BDT per kilogram (approximately USD 0.07), a steep 60% jump. Such an increase not only upends established cost structures but also forces farmers into a lose-lose situation: either store their perishable produce at an unsustainable cost or sell immediately at depressed prices, often for less than the cost of production. This unilateral decision, reportedly announced via a press conference rather than following the mandated consultation process under the Agriculture Marketing Act of 2018, has left farmers feeling cornered and betrayed.
Across Rajshahi, Rangpur, and other affected regions, protests have erupted as farmers demand a rollback of the storage fee hike. Dramatic demonstrations—ranging from mass rallies to symbolic acts such as dumping sacks of potatoes on roads—reflect the depth of discontent among those who feel exploited by an opaque system. The grievances are not merely about numbers on a ledger; they are a cry for justice from an agricultural community that has long borne the brunt of policy gaps and market manipulations.
At the heart of the crisis is the failure of policy and governance. Government intervention has been sluggish, and current export initiatives aimed at alleviating domestic oversupply have been hampered by stringent regulations and bureaucratic delays. Without decisive action, the price of potatoes will continue to plummet, and the gap between production costs and selling prices will widen, pushing many farmers further into debt.
What is urgently needed is a comprehensive, multi-pronged strategy: a revision of cold storage fee structures, direct government subsidies for storage costs, and dedicated storage facilities reserved for genuine potato cultivators. Moreover, a transparent dialogue between government agencies, cold storage owners, and farmer representatives is essential to craft policies that protect the interests of all stakeholders.
The time for incremental fixes has passed. Bold, coordinated reforms are necessary to stabilize the market and secure the future of Bangladesh’s potato sector. If policymakers fail to act now, the crisis will only deepen, leaving a once-thriving community facing financial ruin and economic uncertainty.
