Potatoes: A bitter harvest for farmers

In Rangpur, the fields are brimming with potatoes—a record-breaking haul this season. Yet, for farmers, this bounty has become a burden. 

Prices have plummeted, cold storage costs have spiked, and the promise of profit feels like a distant dream. Once a staple of pride, the humble potato is now a thorn in their side.  

A record crop, a sinking market 

The Rangpur District Agricultural Extension Department set a target of 53,950 hectares for the 2024-25 potato season. Farmers shattered that, planting 66,280 hectares—the most ever. 

Last year, 53,950 hectares yielded 1.526 million tonnes; this time, the goal was 1.6 million, but production could top 2 million tonnes. 

Across Nilphamari, Kurigram, Gaibandha, and Lalmonirhat, another 119,839 hectares exceeded the 106,602-hectare target. Favourable weather fuelled this bumper crop, but the market hasn’t kept pace.  

Last season, potatoes fetched Tk 25-30 per kilogram. Now, they’re languishing at Tk 12-13. “We’re staring at losses,” farmers lament, caught between harvesting at a deficit or gambling on cold storage—where rents have soared.  

Voices from the fields 

Badrul Alam, from Mainakuthi in Rangpur City Corporation, grew the high-yield Carriage variety on two bighas (about 0.66 acres). His costs—land lease, seeds, labour—hit Tk 75,000. “The price is so low, I’ve left half my crop in the ground,” he told Jago News. “Lifting them now won’t even break even.”  

Nazrul Islam, from Gajghanta in Gangachara, spent Tk 40,000 on 0.33 acres. “The yield was solid, but the profit’s nowhere near,” he said. “Cold storage isn’t an option—rents are up, and I’d still lose.”  

Krishna Chandra Barman, of Chabbis Hazari, echoed the frustration: “Great harvest, terrible prices. I’ll store some, but even that’s a headache with the new rates.” 

Aminul Islam, from Pirgachha’s Kandi area, broke it down: Tk 35-40,000 to grow 70-80 maunds per bigha, sold at Tk 480-520 taka per maund. “Do the math—I’m paying to farm,” he sighed.  

Refaz Uddin, from Badarganj’s Lohanipara, farms his own land, trimming costs slightly. Still, he admitted, “The market’s killing any hope of profit.”  

A surplus with no saviour 

Md Afzal Hossain, Acting Deputy Director of Rangpur’s Agricultural Extension Department, called it a double-edged sword: “Favourable weather gave us a surplus—beyond local demand. We export to other regions and abroad, but prices are still crashing.” 

He urged farmers to store potatoes locally, not just in cold facilities, to wait out the slump for better rates. “We’re advising them constantly,” he said.  

Trapped between soil and storage 

For Rangpur’s farmers, the numbers tell a grim tale: a historic harvest met with a merciless market. Cold storage, once a lifeline, now feels like another expense they can’t afford. As potatoes pile up—unsold, unstored, or underground—the region’s pride is turning to despair. Will patience pay off, or has this season’s triumph already spoiled?