The Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) has reached out to the government for assistance in selling excess potatoes currently stored in cold storage facilities. The country experienced a record potato production of 11 million metric tonnes in the current fiscal year, leading to a surplus of approximately 2 million tonnes due to domestic demand being around 8.5-9 million metric tonnes.
This year, an estimated 5.4 million tonnes of edible potatoes, seed potatoes, and exportable potatoes are stored across about 400 cold storage units. Concerns have arisen over the unsold surplus potatoes resulting from low market prices.
A delegation comprising members of the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industries (FBCCI) and BCSA met with Agriculture Minister at the Secretariat to discuss the situation. The delegation highlighted the need for government intervention in distributing surplus potatoes for relief efforts, among other uses.
Minister acknowledged the previous initiatives to distribute potatoes for relief work, which inadvertently led to increased potato consumption and price fluctuations. He assured that steps will be taken to address the marketing of surplus potatoes this year. Additionally, the minister emphasized the importance of boosting potato exports to stabilize the local market and expressed optimism about the future increase in potato exports.
