The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) on Saturday urged the government to provide a 20 per cent rebate on electricity bills and raise the cash incentive for potato exports to 30 per cent from the existing 10 per cent to help the sector survive a severe crisis triggered by falling potato prices.
The association also called on the government to keep the cold storage charge at Tk 6.75 per kg, saying farmers are already facing difficult conditions and any increase in storage fees would further burden them.
The demands were placed at a press briefing held at the association's office in the capital.
The programme was chaired by BCSA President Mostofa Azad Chowdhury Babu, who read out a written statement.
The association urged Bangladesh Bank to announce a Tk 60-80 billion refinancing or business support package for cold storage operators and provide loans at 5.0 per cent interest by treating the sector as part of agriculture.
Mr Babu said the existing 10 per cent export incentive is inadequate and should be increased to 30 per cent to encourage potato exports and ease the domestic supply glut.
While welcoming the government's initiative to introduce the Farmers Card, he urged the authorities to include potato farmers under the programme so that they can receive support for storing potatoes in cold storage facilities.
According to the association, more than 0.2 million tonnes of potatoes remained unclaimed in cold storages in January 2026, as owners did not withdraw their produce because of extremely low market prices.
As a result, both the value of the potatoes and the storage charges have effectively become losses for cold storage operators, it said.
The BCSA also called for the inclusion of potatoes in the government's Open Market Sale (OMS) and rationing programmes to increase domestic consumption and support potato marketing.
Bangladesh produced more than 11.2 million tonnes of potatoes in 2025, while production is expected to rise to around 11.5 million tonnes this year.
Farmgate potato prices fell to a record low of Tk 5.0-9.0 per kg, while prices at cold storage gates hovered at Tk 12-18 per kg this season.
The crop was sold for Tk 18-35 per kg at the retail level this year.
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