Agriculture adviser Lieutenant General (retired) Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury on Thursday said that a record 1.12 crore tonnes of potatoes had been produced this year, about 22 lakh tonnes more than the national demand.
‘In 2025, the production cost of potatoes varies between Tk 14 and Tk 17 a kilogram depending on the region. Including storage, transportation, sacks, labour and other expenses, the cost at the cold storage gate stands at Tk 20-25 a kilogram. In contrast, farmers are being forced to sell potatoes at Tk 8-16 a kilogram at the cold storage gate-far below their production cost-leading to financial losses,’ he said.
In view of this situation, the adviser requested the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association to preserve old potatoes for some more time to help farmers recover their losses, a press release said.
He made the request while speaking as chief guest at the two-day ‘Potato Festival 2025’ organised by the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association at International Convention Centre Bashundhara in the capital on the day.
Agriculture secretary Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Bangladesh Agricultural University vice-chancellor AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiya and ambassador of the Kingdom of Netherlands to Bangladesh Joris Van Bommel attended the ceremony as special guests.
BCSA president Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu presided over the ceremony.
Jahangir said that the Cold Storage Association had been urged to continue preserving old potatoes to offset the losses faced by growers, adding that new potatoes would take an additional 15 days to arrive on the market this year.
‘Therefore, the decision has been taken in the greater interest of farmers,’ he said.
‘Although storage owners may incur some losses due to increased electricity bills, the farmers, who are the backbone of food production, will benefit,’ he added.
The adviser also called upon the concerned authorities to take necessary measures to reduce production costs per kilogram of potatoes.
He further said that although Bangladesh produced potatoes in large quantities, the country lagged behind in the processing industry.
Only two per cent of potatoes are processed in Bangladesh, compared with seven per cent in many other countries, he said.
Therefore, he stressed the need to prioritise potato processing and select varieties suitable for processing.
The adviser added that imported potato seed packets must have clearly marked prices, which will benefit farmers.
BCSA senior vice-president Ishtiak Ahmed, vice-president and board member Mohammad Yunus, NürnbergMesse Fima Exhibition (Hangzhou) company Limited, China general manager Tony Lv, Postmaster Communication managing director Faizul Alam, among others, attended the ceremony.
The Potato Festival 2025 is designed to promote multifaceted use of potatoes as food in Bangladesh, formulate strategies to increase exports, enhance modern storage technologies and expand potato processing industries.
The exhibition was attended by prominent business leaders from the agriculture, potato production, cold chain and food processing sectors, along with potato farmers and the general public.
Nearly 500 farmers from across the country are participating in this international fair.
In his speech, Mostafa Azad announced that 10 exemplary farmers, selected from various districts, would be honoured on the closing day of the event.
A total of 66 local and international organisations are participating in this international exhibition, showcasing equipment for modern potato cultivation, advanced cold storage technologies, processing solutions, value addition, export opportunities, cold-chain systems, agricultural machinery and various potato-based food products.
During the exhibition, international B2B meetings and two expert-led panel sessions were held, focusing on increasing domestic consumption of potatoes, enhancing exports and strengthening value addition.
The recommendations from these panel sessions will be submitted to the relevant government ministries for necessary action.
Postmaster Communication is serving as the event partner of the fair.
