Camboya: Fair potato price makes farmers happy

Local agriculture office says potato harvest is going on in full swing. Farmers have almost completed harvest in the district.

Farmers are very much busy at their potato fields to harvest their produce. Farmers get a very handsome amount by selling potatoes.

Potato traders and stockists are collecting potatoes from farmers at their croplands at high prices.

The demand for potato to preserve in the cold storages is very high this year.

So, middleman and traders are hunting potato growers. As a result, its price is increasing every day.

During a visit to some areas in Sadar upazila of the district, this correspondent has found that farmers are busy harvesting potato.

Shajol Bashunia, a farmer of Hardotta village under the upazila, said he cultivated potato on 40 decimals of land and got 80 sacks of potato worth Tk 1.50 lakh. He spent only Tk 50,000 on cultivating potato.

Harun Bashunia, another farmer of Monorom village, said he cultivated potato on 15 bighas of land and achieved a bumper production. He earned huge profit.

He also said last year many farmers and stockists got the highest profit from potato.

So, they are keeping potato in cold storage as much as possible for more profit. That’s why the demand for potato is growing in the market.

Munshiganj is very popular for potato farming. This year, the rain has damaged potato field, he said.

Farmers say that per kg potato is selling at Tk 29-30 at a field level. Buyers take potato from fields to cold storages.

Sadekul Islam, a farmer, said the expense was very high this year as the price of seed, fertilisers and other pesticides were abnormally high than the previous year.

He said the production cost of one kilogram potato will be Tk 18-20 this year. Growers are selling per kilogram potato at Tk 29-30. Last year, it was only Tk 12 -14 at this time.

At retail markets, different varieties of potato are being sold at Tk 35 to 50 right now.

A consumer expressed deep concern and said normally one kilogram potato is sold at Tk 15-20 at this time, but this year the price is very high.

Then after few months it will be Tk 70-80. If the department concerned does not monitor the potato market, consumers will suffer a lot, he said..

ahasnathrana@yahoo.com