• Financial

The government's instructions are not being followed in the potato market

  • Financial
  • 15 October, 2020 16:29:27

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News Desk: The government has fixed the maximum price of potatoes at the consumer, warehouse and cold storage level. However, this instruction of the government is not being obeyed at any stage. In view of the abnormal increase in the price of potatoes, a letter was sent to the Deputy Commissioners (DCs) of 64 districts from the Department of Agricultural Marketing on October 8 fixing the maximum price of potatoes at the consumer, warehouse and cold storage levels.

A week later, the matter was announced on Wednesday (October 14). The Department of Agriculture Marketing has asked the Deputy Commissioners to ensure the sale of potatoes at the consumer level at a maximum rate of Tk 30 per kg. At the same time, they were asked to ensure a maximum sale of Tk 23 per kg at the cold storage stage and Tk 25 per kg at the yard. When the Department of Agriculture Marketing announced the issue of fixing the price of potato yesterday, potato came to the center of discussion throughout the day. Many buyers rushed to the market on Thursday morning hoping to get potatoes at lower prices. However, they had to go to the market to be disappointed. Because as before, the price for potatoes has gone up. Ashraful Islam, who came to Rampura Bazar to buy potatoes, said in a tone of frustration, "I saw in the media yesterday that the government has fixed the price of potatoes at Tk 30 at the retail level."

I came to the market hoping to be able to buy potatoes at a lower price. But everyone wants 50 rupees per kg of potato like yesterday. I don't see any implementation of the price fixed by the government in the market. ' Moinul Hossain, who came to the caravan market, expressed similar frustration over the price of potatoes. "It's not just a matter of fixing prices, it's a matter of getting people involved quickly," he said. Strict monitoring is required. Otherwise, no one will listen to the government. ' Moinul Hossain said, "I saw in all the media yesterday that the price of potato has been fixed at Tk 30 at the retail level." But in the caravan market, potatoes are being sold at  Tk 45 per kg. So the situation in other markets is easy to predict. ' On Thursday (October 15), it was learned at the retail, wholesale and cold storage level of potatoes that per kg potatoes are being sold at  Tk 45 to Tk 50 in different retail markets of the capital. It is being sold wholesale at 40 to 42 Taka per kg. And 40 kg of potatoes is being sold in cold storage.

However, according to the cold storage, the sale of potatoes has been stopped for two days. In this regard, Mosharraf Hossain of Ekta Cold Storage in Munshiganj said, "Our sale has been stopped since yesterday due to fixing the price of potatoes." We are not getting buyers of potatoes. The last 40 kg of potatoes was sold. He said, ‘Traders should have been consulted when fixing the price of potatoes from the government. But it was not done. ' He added, ‘The price of potatoes now is definitely unusual. However, the price fixed by the government is not reasonable. At a retail level like ours, it would be reasonable to charge  Tk 40 per kg for potatoes and Tk  35 per kg for wholesale. And 32-33 Taka can be made at the cold storage stage. ' Mosharraf Hossain said that the reason for the abnormal increase in the price of potatoes was that the early potatoes that were harvested in December were not cultivated this time. As a result, new potatoes will come in January-February instead of December. The two months delay in the potato season is one of the reasons for the rise in prices.

Besides, many potatoes have been distributed as relief due to the epidemic. There is also a demand for potatoes in the market. All in all, there has been such an unusual price of potatoes. ' He said, ‘Now the potato traders are making a little profit. But no one says the losses that potato traders have incurred in the last two years. Moreover, now most of the vegetables are around one hundred rupees per kg. But no one says anything about it. Everyone is lying with potatoes. In that case, there will be no potato cultivation in the future. 'Talking to potato retailers, it was learned that there are enough potatoes in the yard. However, potatoes are not available below 40 Taka in any yard. In this regard, Malibagh Hajipara wife-market trader said. Jahangir said, ‘There is no shortage of potatoes in the yard. But potatoes are not available in the yard for 40 Taka per kg. However, compared to yesterday, I got two Taka less per kg of potatoes today. It was bought at Tk  42 per kg yesterday. "If we can bring potatoes from the warehouse at a lower price, we will be able to sell them at a lower price," he said.

However, it is being said from the warehouse that the potatoes that they have, they have bought earlier. Now they are not buying new potatoes. ' Ariful Islam, a trader from Madhya Badda, said, "I had to buy potatoes at the same price as I bought them from the warehouse yesterday." All in all, it is not possible for us to sell potatoes below Tk  50 per kg. ' Meanwhile, in a letter given to the DC from the Department of Agricultural Marketing, it has been said that about 19 million tons of potatoes have been produced in Bangladesh during the last potato season. The total demand for potatoes in the country is about 6 lakh 9 thousand tons. It shows that there is a surplus of about 31 lakh 91 thousand tons of potatoes produced last year. Although some amount of potato is exported, the possibility of deficit is very slim. It further said that when potatoes were stored in the cold storage during the potato season, the maximum price was Tk  14 per kg. The cost per kg of potato is 3 Taka 6 paise for cold storage rent, 47 paise for selection cost, 6 paise for weight loss, 2 Taka for capital interest and other expenses.

In other words, one kg of potatoes costs a maximum of 21 Taka at the cold storage stage. The letter said it was reasonable to sell potatoes to consumers by adding a dividend of 2 to 5 per cent on the sale price of preserved potatoes at the cold storage level, 4 to 5 per cent at the wholesale level and 10 to 15 per cent at the retail level. In this case, if the potato is sold at the price of Tk 23 per kg from the cold storage stage, it appears that the potato conservator gets a profit of Tk 2. On the other hand, 6 paisa is spent on warehousing, rent and labor costs. Accordingly, the wholesale price (warehousing stage) can be increased to Tk 25 by adding profit with Tk 23: 7 paise.

It has also been said that the production cost of a farmer per kg of potato is 7 Taka 32 paise. In this case, the price of potato should be Tk  23 per kg from the cold storage stage, the wholesale price should be Tk 25 and the maximum retail price should be Tk 30 per kg at the consumer level.

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