Bangladesh: Low potato price frustrates farmers

Farmers said they are not happy with the bumper production of these vegetables, which are being sold at lower prices in markets.

Pumpkin is being sold at Tk 8 per kg to cattle farm owners in different places of Hajiganj upazila, growers said.

This season, pumpkin buyers are not coming to Chandpur from Chattogram, Noakhali, Laxmipur, Cumilla and other places, they add.

While visiting some places, this correspondent has found sweet pumpkins abandoned and uncared for in the fields amid their cheap prices.

"I cultivated pumpkin on 120 decimals of land at Devpur of Chandpur Sadar and achieved a bumper yield, but there are no buyers at wholesale markets," says a farmer, Jafar Mia, 60.

Many farmers had taken loans from different sources to cultivate pumpkin. Now, they are failing to pay loan, he added.

According to the DAE, sweet pumpkin has been cultivated on 1,135 hectares of land in Chandpur this season.

This year, farmers have got a bumper pumpkin yield of 24,971 tonnes, said DAE expert Mobarak Hossain.

Meanwhile, the rotten pumpkins are being thrown away beside Chandpur-Cumilla Road near Mohamaya Bazar and some other places.

On the other hand, Chandpur and other districts have witnessed a huge production of potato, but it is being sold at cheap prices.

According to the DAE, a total of 8,200 hectares of land have been brought into potato cultivation in Chandpur.

Potato growers

are very upset due to lower prices of potatoes in markets.

Now, potato is being sold at Tk 20 per kg, but its price was Tk 70-80 a kg when it was being cultivated.

During the harvest period last year, potato was sold at Tk 45 per kg, market sources said. Other vegetables have been grown on 61,000 hectares of land in Chandpur district. They are being sold at cheap prices in markets.

Tomato, cucumber and green chilli are also sold at lower prices.