Seed Potato Sales Stall in Rangpur as Falling Prices and Farmer Losses Deter Dealers

Dealers in Bangladesh’s Rangpur agricultural region are showing little interest in collecting seed potatoes from the Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation (BADC), as collapsing market prices and two consecutive seasons of farmer losses dampen demand. In the first 15 days of the current sales season, which began on 20 September, only 366 tonnes of seed potatoes were sold to 74 dealers across Rangpur, Kurigram, Gaibandha, Lalmonirhat and Nilphamari — just over 8% of the 4,474-tonne target, according to BADC data as of 5 October. With 813 authorised dealers operating across the five districts, officials are increasingly uncertain whether the target can be met. The core problem is price: BADC is supplying Grade-1 seed potatoes at a government-fixed rate of Tk27 per kg, while food potatoes are selling for around Tk12 per kg, making seeds more than twice as expensive. Dealers fear they will incur losses if they buy at Tk27 per kg, especially when farmers, discouraged by poor returns, are reluctant to plant potatoes at all. “Basically, we have to collect seed potatoes at a loss to retain our licences,” said Manjurul Islam, a dealer in Lalmonirhat, who expects to lose money for a second year running. Another dealer in Gaibandha, Sirajul Islam, called for a coordinated plan to align production with domestic demand and export opportunities.

The slowdown reflects deeper structural problems in the region’s potato sector. Although cultivation across the five districts of the Rangpur agricultural region declined from 119,739 hectares in 2024-25 to a draft target of 105,705 hectares for 2025-26, production remains far ahead of demand. Around 51.78 lakh tonnes of potatoes were produced in Rangpur division’s eight districts in the 2025-26 season, yet only about 23% went into cold storage, and roughly 73.8% of stored potatoes remained unsold by the end of September. Farmers say production costs now routinely exceed market prices: Mozammel Haque of Pirgachha spent about Tk51,400 to cultivate one bigha in 2024-25, harvested around 1,980 kg, and earned just Tk29,700 — a loss of roughly Tk21,700. Against this backdrop, BADC has announced incentives and launched campaigns to persuade dealers to collect seeds, and its Rangpur deputy director, Md Masud Sultan, remains hopeful the December deadline can still be met. Agriculture officials, meanwhile, are encouraging farmers to diversify into alternative crops such as maize. As dealer Abul Kalam Azad of Kurigram put it, expanding the market matters far more than simply increasing production.