Bangladesh: Potato price surges during peak season

Published 2024년 5월 10일

Tridge summary

Bangladesh has experienced a significant increase in potato prices due to adverse weather conditions and a fungal disease impacting crop production. Cyclone Michaungu caused excessive rains in December, leading to a supply shortage during the peak harvesting season. A disease known as late blight has decreased vegetable production, including one of the most-consumed vegetables. As a result, retail potato prices have surged by 17.65% in the last month and 49.25% compared to the previous year. The government has permitted imports of 5.3 lakh tonnes of potatoes to address the price hike, with 86,851 tonnes already imported. Authorities are implementing measures to ensure reasonable prices and will continue to monitor the situation.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

The cultivation received the first blow in December last year when Cyclone Michaung-induced incessant rains hit the field crops. A fungal disease, known as late blight, has affected the production of one of the most-consumed vegetables in Bangladesh. Google News LinkFor all latest news, follow The Daily Star’s Google News channel. This has led to a supply squeeze at the beginning of the peak season for harvesting, according to officials of the Department of Agricultural Marketing (DAM), the Tuber Crops Research Centre, and traders. Yesterday, potatoes were sold at Tk 45 to Tk 55 per kilogramme in the kitchen markets in the capital whereas it was Tk 32 to Tk 35 a year ago, data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) showed. In the last one month, the retail price has increased by 17.65 percent whereas the spike stood at 49.25 percent compared to a year earlier. Mohammad Mansur Ali, a wholesaler in Karwan Bazar, one of the biggest kitchen markets in Dhaka, said he has ...

Source: Argenpapa