In the heart of Bangladesh’s potato belt, the district of Bogura presents a powerful case study in agricultural resilience and risk. Defying the low prices of the previous season, local farmers have significantly expanded cultivation by approximately 5,000 hectares, targeting a total of 55,750 hectares for the current Rabi season. This ambition is fueled by the cultivation of nearly 30 varieties, including Pakri, Asterix, and Cardinal, with fields now under intensive irrigation and nutrient management. Early harvests are already hitting local markets at Tk 30-40/kg. However, this green optimism is starkly contrasted by deep-seated anxiety. Production costs have skyrocketed to between Tk 35,000 and Tk 42,000 per bigha (approx. 0.13 hectares), driven by increases in seed, fertilizer, and labor. With yields varying from 60 to 120 maunds per bigha, farmers like Abdul Karim and Rafiqul Islam vocalize a universal fear: even a good harvest may not guarantee profitability without a fair and stable market price.
This precarious situation highlights a critical systemic gap. While the Department of Agricultural Extension (DAE) rightly focuses on agronomic advice, disease control, and promoting export-quality varieties, farmers are issuing a clear demand for structural market support: direct government procurement. Their plea is not unfounded. Price crashes following bumper harvests are a chronic issue in South Asian agriculture. For context, a 2023 FAO report on Bangladesh’s food systems highlighted that post-harvest losses and price instability remain significant constraints, with farmers often receiving less than 40% of the final consumer price due to lengthy supply chains and intermediary margins. Bogura’s annual output of ~1.2 million metric tons is vital for national food security, but its producers operate on an economic knife-edge. The current strategy of simply scaling production is unsustainable without parallel mechanisms to de-risk the market.
Bogura’s expanded potato cultivation is a testament to farmer tenacity but underscores a dangerous paradox: increased production does not automatically translate into increased prosperity. The district’s experience is a microcosm of a global challenge—balancing productivity with profitability. The solution lies beyond the field. While continued agronomic support is essential, the decisive factor for farmer welfare and sustained production will be the implementation of intelligent market interventions. This could include streamlined direct procurement, support for cooperative-led storage and processing, and stronger linkages to stable demand channels. Without such measures, the high-stakes gamble taken by Bogura’s farmers each season risks eroding the very foundation of this critical agricultural hub.
