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The government is set to hold an inter-ministerial meeting today (Thursday) to formulate strategies aimed at stabilising the price, stock, and supply of potatoes.
The meeting, to be chaired by the commerce secretary at the Ministry of Commerce (MoC), will be attended by representatives from various ministries, state agencies, and industry stakeholders, including the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA).
The meeting will review the current stock, pricing, and supply of potatoes and take decisions on potential government measures, officials said.
The BCSA recently urged the government to set a minimum price of Tk 25 per kg at the cold storage gate to protect farmers' interests. The association has submitted proposals to the ministries of finance, agriculture, and food, it was learned.
In its letter, the BCSA claimed that around 13 million tonnes of potatoes were produced in the country in 2024-roughly 4 million tonnes more than domestic demand. Due to this glut, potato prices have remained below expectations at the retail level.
Currently, potatoes are selling for Tk 13 to Tk 15 per kg in major producing regions, according to cold storage operators. They argue that the cost to store one kilogram of potatoes is Tk 25, while the combined cost of production and storage reaches Tk 17 per kg.
The association stressed that to safeguard potato farmers, the government should fix the minimum price at Tk 25 per kg at the cold storage gate. They warned that if the price is not ensured, farmers could be discouraged from cultivating potatoes in 2026.
At present, about 3.5 million tonnes of potatoes are stored in 350 cold storages across the country. Cold storage owners estimate that 20-30 percent of the stored stock could remain unsold unless the price is raised.
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