Bangladesh: After chilli and onion, now potato price soars

After the volatility in the chilli and onion markets, now potato market is in crisis. Market sources said the supply of potatoes is decreasing and the price is increasing. The price of potato increased by Tk 10 per kg within two weeks, it has reached Tk 50 per kg in the retail market. Just a year ago, potatoes were sold at Tk 28 per kg; That is, the price of potatoes has increased by 78 per cent in a year. Traders say despite the increase in potato production as per the government, the current production has decreased by 15-20 per cent. in addition, the storage of potatoes in cold storages has also decreased this year. Ahead of the harvest season, the demand for seed potatoes has also increased, leading to a rise in prices. However, the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM) recently blamed a portion of unscrupulous traders for the rise in potato prices in a report. DAM claimed that traders are artificially increasing the price of potatoes. They are not releasing potatoes from ...