United News of Bangladesh

A sudden spell of rain and gusty winds has dealt a fresh blow to potato farmers in Rangpur division, who were already struggling with a sharp fall in market prices. Heavy rainfall on Thursday and Friday inundated potato fields in several areas of Rangpur district, raising fears of crop damage and rot. The situation has left many farmers worried as they try to drain water from their fields to save the harvest. The damage was reported in areas including Mahiganj, Amashu Kukrul and Palichara in Rangpur Sadar upazila and Pirgachha upazila. During visits to several fields, large tracts of potato farms were seen submerged in rainwater in Tambulpur, Chaola, Annadanagar and Kandi unions in Pirgachha upazila. Farmers were trying to remove water from the fields in a desperate bid to protect the crops. “I cultivated potatoes on 10 bighas of land and the yield was quite good. But the sudden storm and rain have caused significant damage,” said Ismail Hossain, a farmer from Chaola union. “When I came to the field this morning, I saw water had accumulated everywhere. Now we are trying to drain it out,” he said. Farmers say the situation has become even more distressing as potato prices have already fallen sharply in local markets. “There is almost no price for potatoes in the market now. It is selling at only Tk 8 to Tk 10 per kg. After this rain, the price may drop by another Tk 2 per kg,” said Ismail, describing the rainfall as “a blow on top of an already dire situation.” Another farmer, Emdadul Haque Babu, said rising fertiliser prices and a shortage of storage facilities have also pushed growers into a difficult position. “We cultivated potatoes taking loans. But the market price is very low,” he said. “If we want to store potatoes in cold storage, we have to pay additional charges. Otherwise, we are forced to sell them cheaply to middlemen and syndicates. So I left some potatoes in the field hoping to sell them when prices improve. But the sudden rain may ruin everything.” Dhaka dwellers struggle with footpath occupation by hawkers during Ramadan He said many farmers in rural areas are facing similar financial risks due to the untimely rainfall. Several farmers from the Amashu Kukrul area said many growers have suffered losses in potato farming in recent years. Farmer Mohammad Arif said he invested nearly Tk 2.5 million in potato cultivation this season but now fears heavy losses. “On one hand, market prices are low and there are allegations of syndicate control. On the other hand, this rain has added to our worries. Like last year, we may again face losses,” he said. Another farmer said he had stored potatoes in cold storage last year hoping for higher prices but was unable to withdraw them due to the continuing price slump . Farmers have urged the government and the Department of Agricultural Extension to provide support to help them recover from the losses. According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, potatoes were cultivated on about 225,985 hectares of land across the eight districts of Rangpur division this season, producing roughly 5.67 million tonnes. In Rangpur district alone, potatoes were cultivated on 54,050 hectares of land this year, down from 66,280 hectares last year. The division has 116 cold storage facilities with a combined capacity of about 1.1 million tonnes. However, storage limitations and falling prices have left farmers facing heavy losses. Those involved in the sector estimate that potatoes kept in cold storage alone have caused losses of around Tk 19.97 billion this season. Additional Director of the Rangpur Department of Agricultural Extension Sirajul Islam said the sudden rainfall has created a risk of widespread crop damage. “A record amount of land was brought under potato cultivation this season. But the sudden rain may cause significant damage and lead to rotting of potatoes,” he said, adding that farmers are being advised to remove water from their fields as quickly as possible. Acting officer of the Rangpur Meteorological Office Md Mostafizur Rahman said 44 millimetres of rainfall was recorded between 4:00am and 9:00am on Friday. Similar intermittent rainfall may continue over the next four to five days, he added. Anwar Hossain Bablu, convener of the Rangpur district unit of the Bangladesh Khetmajur and Krishak Organisation, said potato prices in some places have fallen to as low as Tk 3 to Tk 4 per kg. “Potato is one of our major vegetables and a key cash crop with strong global demand. Yet farmers are not getting fair prices in the domestic market,” he said. He called on the government to ensure profitable prices for potatoes, curb corruption and black market practices, and guarantee fertiliser availability at subsidised rates for marginal farmers.