Dismantle the potato syndicate

Potato is an essential vegetable in our lives. There is hardly any dish that does not include potato. After rice, potato is probably the most in-demand food item. It is often said that Bengalis live on fish and rice, but it would not be an exaggeration to say that they live on rice and potatoes. Now-a-days, many Bengalis no longer eat fish regularly, but it is hard to imagine a day without potato. When there are no other vegetables at home, many families simply make mashed potatoes and have it with rice. However, even this simple potato is now out of reach for many. At the retail level, the price of potato is currently 70 to 75 taka per kilogram, which is almost the same as the price of fine rice and even more expensive than coarse rice. In such a situation, low-income families have to carefully calculate whether they can afford potatoes at all.

The reason behind the sharp rise in potato prices is the syndicate. According to a report published in the media on Monday (18th November), despite having adequate stock of potatoes in cold storage, the syndicate has artificially inflated the prices. In protest against this, and to demand action against the potato syndicate through raids on cold storage, the private consumer rights organization Conscious Consumers Society (CCS) and its youth wing Consumer Youth Bangladesh (CYB) held human chains in 10 districts. They also submitted memorandums to the Deputy Commissioners in these areas with the same demands. The volunteers of CCS and CYB organized the programme in Munshiganj, Lakshmipur, Narayanganj, Shariatpur, Noakhali, Barguna, Khulna, Rangpur, Moulvibazar, and Kishoreganj on Monday morning.

The memorandum states that for the past month, it has become evident that unscrupulous traders are controlling the potato market through deceptive strategies centered around cold storage, thus holding the consumers hostage. From the end of February to March, the stockpilers collected potatoes and stored them in cold storage. During that time, the purchase price of potatoes per kilogram was between 18 and 20 taka. The cost of storing potatoes in cold storage ranged from 180 to 340 taka per 60 kg sack, depending on the region.

From the information gathered by CCS through various means, it has become clear that the annual demand for potatoes in the country is around 9 million tons. This year, potato production has exceeded 10 million tons. Currently, more than 4 million tons of potatoes are stored in cold storage across the country, which is more than sufficient for the remaining year's demand. However, stockpilers are creating an artificial shortage by reducing supply, selling potatoes at inflated prices from the cold storage, and failing to retain proper sales receipts and documentation for the transactions.

In this situation, it has been requested that mobile courts and raids be intensified against cold storage managers, document buyers-sellers, and middlemen/facilitators involved in illegal marketing activities in order to bring potato prices down to a reasonable level. Due to the syndicate, the prices of almost all essential commodities in Bangladesh remain high throughout the year. Even during the season, the prices of potatoes, onions, and lentils do not decrease significantly. This happens because stockpilers buy large quantities of these products at cheaper rates during the season, store them in cold storage, and later sell them at higher prices.

If these essential commodities were stored by the government and sold at fair prices when needed, such syndicate manipulation would not have been possible. However, in Bangladesh, even though governments change, the syndicates remain unchanged, which is deeply unfortunate. We want this syndicate to be dismantled. The price of potatoes should be kept within the reach of the people. Just like rice, potato too is a sensitive food item. The government must keep a vigilant eye to prevent such chaos surrounding potatoes.