TCB to sell potato at Tk 20-25 a kg

The government wants to sell potatoes at Tk 20-25 per kg from November to March 2026 through trucks, according to sources.

In this regard, the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) plans to purchase potatoes in five phases through the open tender method.

It will buy 50,000 tonnes of potatoes, as per a commerce ministry decision made at a meeting on September 9.

TCB expects to sell 10,000 tonnes of potatoes in each phase through trucks.

At the initial stage, the state-owned agency will pilot sales on a limited scale.

If the pilot scheme is successful, potatoes will be sold through trucks across the country.

If per kg potato cannot be sold at Tk 10-15 less than the market price, attempts will be made to sell them at lower prices in the open market, according to a TCB letter to the ministry.

If potato prices do not increase from November 2025 to March 2026 and the TCB is unable to sell them in the open market, it will seek necessary instructions on what to do with the unsold stock.

The agency has requested the ministry to approve the plan.

TCB now sells edible oil, lentil, sugar, and rice at subsidised rates to 10 million cardholder families, with around 30-32 per cent of the population benefitting from the programme throughout the year.

It arranges special sales programmes during Ramadan.

At present, it sells some key essential items through trucks to keep prices within the purchasing power of ordinary people in the volatile commodity market.

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