A recent meeting of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association, an association of cold storage owners, decided to increase the rent for storage of potatoes in cold storage. From the current season, farmers will have to pay 5 rupees 20 paise for storing one kg of potatoes in the cold storage. This will have an impact on the consumer level. Buyers also have to buy potatoes at higher prices. The country is in the process of increasing the price of electricity. Before that, the cost of potato storage increased.
Talking to the owners of cold storages, it is learned that there are 36 cold storages in Bogra district; There are a total of 61 cold storages in these three districts including 20 in Joypurhat and 15 in Thakurgaon. Bogra cold storages have a storage capacity of 3 lakh 16 thousand metric tons, Joypurhat 1 lakh 75 thousand and Thakurgaon cold storages have a storage capacity of 1 lakh 39 thousand 550 metric tons. Farmers will have to spend an extra Tk 1.92 per kg to keep potatoes in cold storage in Bogra and Joypurhat. And in Thakurgaon it will cost an extra 1 73 paisa more. As such, the cost of conserving potatoes in the three districts is now being borne by the farmers at a cost of Tk 119 crore. It is estimated that the cost of Bogra-Joypurhat will increase by Tk 96 crore. And in Thakurgaon it will increase by 22 crore rupees.
According to the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association, 228 cold storages in 16 northern districts have a storage capacity of 19.42 million metric tons. The conservationists will have to incur an additional cost of Tk 362.09 crore this time as the storage fee for potatoes has been fixed at Tk 5.20 per kg.
March to November is the season for storage of potatoes in cold storage. At the end of the season, when the potatoes are taken out of the cold storage, the rent has to be paid. Farmers and traders are worried about paying extra rent at the end of the current season.
Agriculture officials say the country produces 40 percent more potatoes than it needs. Potatoes are not going to be exported abroad. The price is going down as there are more potatoes than required. Farmers and traders have to count the losses. If the cold storage rent is increased, the farmers will suffer more.
Potato farmers and traders staged a human chain under the banner of Potato Farmers and Traders Welfare Association on February 20 to protest against the increase in potato conservation rent. Hasibul Haque, general secretary of Thakurgaon District Potato Farmers and Businessmen's Welfare Association , told Prothom Alo that every year the cold storage owners cheat the farmers. Owners later demanded higher rents, citing lower rents before the potatoes were stored in the cold storage last year.
Meanwhile, the farmers are worried. They are skeptical about whether they will be able to get good price after keeping potatoes in cold storage by spending so much extra. However, some say that the burden of higher prices will fall on the consumer.
Anil Roy, a potato farmer from Dholarhat village in Thakurgaon Sadar upazila, said the price of potato in the market is now Tk 13 per kg. Cold storage includes sacks, transportation and labor costs. That too costs two to three rupees. At the time of selling potatoes, one has to pay extra by adding two to three kg per gram. Potatoes have to be sold by adding other expenses including cold storage along with those expenses. Buyers will have to buy potatoes at higher prices.
In Munshiganj, the rent may not increase
According to our Munshiganj representative , the cold storage in the district's cold storages will not be increased this year. There are 64 active cold storages for potato storage in the district. Five and a half lakh metric tons of potatoes can be stored in these cold storages.
Arash Dewan, owner of Dewan Cold Storage, said seven lakh sacks of potatoes were kept in his cold storage. Last year, a 50 kg sack was rented for Rs 200. The same will be rented again.
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