Bangladesh hosted its first-ever Potato Festival, drawing attention to the growing crisis faced by potato farmers who are struggling to secure fair prices for their produce, a bumper this year. The two-day international fair and exhibition began on Friday, 12 December in Dhaka, which has been organised by the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association.
The festival was inaugurated in the morning by the Adviser for Agriculture and Home Affairs, retired Lieutenant General Md Jahangir Alam Chowdhury, who attended as the chief guest.
Among the special guests were Professor Dr AK Fazlul Haque Bhuiyan, Vice-Chancellor of Bangladesh Agricultural University, Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian, Secretary of the Ministry of Agriculture, Joris van Bommel, Ambassador of the Kingdom of the Netherlands to Bangladesh and Tony Lv, General Manager of Hangzhou FIMA Expo Co. Ltd of China.
Officials from various government and private institutions, leaders of the Cold Storage Association, cold storage owners, farmers, business leaders, and entrepreneurs from different districts across the country attended the event.
Farmers’ stories: Profit on paper, loss in reality
Many farmers took part in the festival, including Kashem and Rony from Joypurhat district. Kashem said he cultivated potatoes on three bighas of land, spending around Tk 40,000 per bigha. He harvested about 120 maunds per bigha and sold the produce directly from the field for Tk 60,000 per bigha, leaving a profit of Tk 20,000.
However, Kashem admitted that this figure does not reflect his true profit. Like many small and medium farmers, he and his family contributed unpaid labour, the cost of which is rarely calculated. He believes selling immediately was the right decision, as storing potatoes in cold storage would not have covered even the storage rent.
Rony’s experience was unlike Kashem’s. For Kashem, he cultivated potatoes on three bighas of land, but instead of selling during the season, he stored his harvest in cold storage in the hope of getting a better price later. Unfortunately, luck didn’t favour him and now Rony is facing heavy losses.
Rony’s misfortune is not the only case. This year, many farmers and potato traders across Bangladesh are suffering significant financial losses, even after storing potatoes.
Why are potato farmers facing losses this year?
Both the President of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association, Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu, and Agriculture Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury addressed this issue during their speeches.
Citing data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, they said that the country produced a record 11.2 million tonnes of potatoes this year, around 2.2 million tonnes more than local demand.
In 2025, potato production costs ranged between Tk 14 and Tk 17 per kilogram, depending on region and location. After adding cold storage charges, transport, sacks, labour, and additional expenses, the cost at the cold storage rose to Tk 20 to Tk 25 per kilogram. In contrast, farmers were forced to sell potatoes at prices ranging from Tk 8 to Tk 16 per kilogram, well below their investment in production.
Farmers from different regions shared similar experiences. Limon Ahmed from Rajshahi’s Tanore said he cultivated potatoes on 115 bighas last year, with production costs of Tk 22 to Tk 25 per kilogram, but sold them at Tk 12 to Tk 14. Rana Chowdhury, a farmer from Chorokhair village in the same area, stored 1,250 sacks of potatoes this year. He expressed frustration that despite a government announcement to purchase 50,000 tonnes of potatoes at Tk 22 per kilogram, no procurement has yet taken place.
Sirajul Islam, a farmer from Kurigram, summed up the uncertainty faced by growers by saying that one year brings profit and the next brings loss.
A cycle of overproduction and shortage
Analysis of potato production data since 2010 shows a recurring cycle. In years when production exceeds demand, such as 2010, 2014, 2015, and 2017, farmers, traders, and cold storage owners suffered losses due to low prices. As a result, farmers reduced cultivation in subsequent years.
This pattern led to lower-than-demand production in 2023 and 2024, when cold storage utilisation dropped by 20 to 25 percent. Potato prices surged during those years, reaching Tk 60 per kilogram in 2023 and as high as Tk 80 in 2024. Encouraged by high prices, farmers increased cultivation last season, resulting in a bumper harvest this year and another price collapse had taken away their hopes and dreams.
The arrival of new potatoes in the market has further decreased prices, as consumers generally prefer freshly harvested produce.
Why do consumers prefer new potatoes?
At the festival, homemaker Mili Farzana said she prefers new potatoes because dishes cooked with old potatoes taste slightly sweet.
Nutritionist Reeda Najnin explained that this sweetness is caused by chemical changes in stored potatoes. Over time, especially in cold storage, starch converts into sugars such as glucose and fructose, a process known as cold-induced sweetening. As potatoes are living tubers, respiration continues during storage, breaking down starch into sugar. When cooked, this sugar becomes noticeable on the palate even if the seasoning is correct.
Structural problems in potato farming
Ataus Sopan Malik, Managing Director of AR Malik Seeds Pvt Ltd., said farmers are generally reluctant to adopt new potato varieties due to the fear of yield risks. As a result, the same varieties are cultivated year after year.
He added that Bangladesh’s potato sector faces challenges in production planning, storage, and price stability. Market access remains weak, with middlemen controlling prices and farmers unable to sell directly, forcing them to accept low returns.
Ariful Haque, owner of Eastern Trade Corporation, said even seed potato producers have incurred losses this year. He highlighted another key issue. Bangladesh mainly produces table potatoes used in home cooking, while international markets demand varieties suitable for chips and French fries.
Farmers cannot be blamed, he said, because without a guaranteed market for processing-grade potatoes, there is little incentive to take the risk of growing them.
Seed dependency and climate challenges
Osman Haruni, Senior Adviser at the Netherlands Embassy in Dhaka, pointed out two major challenges: Around 95 percent of potato seed used in Bangladesh originates from the Netherlands. Climate change has delayed seed production there, while geopolitical instability in the Mediterranean has disrupted shipping routes, increasing transit times by 10 to 15 days.
One solution, he said, is domestic seed production. Dutch companies are interested in investing, but Bangladesh lacks a Plant Variety Authority, making it difficult to protect breeders’ rights and discouraging long-term investment.
Call to extend the cold storage period
To mitigate farmers’ losses, Agriculture Adviser Jahangir Alam Chowdhury urged cold storage owners to retain old potatoes until December. He said new potatoes would arrive about 15 days later than usual this year, and extending storage would help stabilise prices.
While acknowledging that cold storage owners may face higher electricity costs, he stressed that protecting farmers, the backbone of food production, must be the priority. He also called for steps to reduce per-kilogram production costs.
Processing and export opportunities
The adviser noted that only 2 percent of potatoes in Bangladesh are processed, compared to 7 percent globally. Expanding processing capacity, he said, is essential.
Agriculture Secretary Dr Mohammad Emdad Ullah Mian announced that efforts are underway to export 200 thousand tonnes of potatoes to Vietnam next year, as the country has expressed interest in importing Bangladeshi produce.
How farmers’ profits can be secured
Bangladesh’s annual potato consumption stands at around eight million tonnes, with some used for processing into chips and crackers. Currently, about 60,000 tonnes are exported each year.
Dutch Ambassador Joris van Bommel said the crisis could be addressed by focusing on three areas: investment in modern cold storage, value addition through processing, and development of export markets for both fresh and processed potatoes.
True potato seed: A future alternative?
One potential solution to high storage and transport costs is True Potato Seed, or TPS. Unlike tubers, TPS comes from the potato plant’s flower and resembles tomato seeds.
TPS requires a longer production cycle. Seeds are first grown in nurseries to produce seedlings, which then yield small mini-tubers in the first season. These are planted again to produce commercial-sized potatoes.
TPS is lightweight, easy to store and transport, and carries a lower risk of disease. However, it requires greater skill, time and care, and yields can be inconsistent due to genetic variation.
For now, tuber-based cultivation remains the most practical option for Bangladeshi farmers. However, TPS holds promise for future seed production, research, and modern nursery systems.
At the Potato Festival, TPS was showcased by Planten Agro Limited, alongside a wide range of potato-based food products, highlighting both the challenges and the untapped potential of Bangladesh’s potato sector.
The festival will continue till December 13 at the International Convention City Bashundhara.
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