POTATO growers struggling to find quality seeds and seed prices registering a sudden increase are unacceptable. Such a shortage and high price of the seeds are likely to impact the production, causing an increase in potato prices on the market. Farmers, especially in the 16 northern districts where more than two-thirds of potatoes are grown, are reported to be struggling to get quality seeds. According to Department of Agricultural Extension annual reports and the Bureau of Statistics, 106 lakh tonnes of potatoes were produced in Bangladesh in the past season, of which 79 lakh tonnes were produced in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions. The authorities have set a record target of producing about 98.55 lakh tonnes of potato from 365,000 hectares of land in the north alone in the next season but have not allocated or arranged for the seeds required to cultivate the targeted production area in the two divisions. The Bangladesh Agricultural Development Corporation has allocated only 17,140 tonnes of potato seeds in the 16 northern districts against a demand for 6.34 lakh tonnes, leaving farmers to depend on private seed organisations and businesspeople.
As the Agricultural Development Corporation is unable to provide seeds, farmers are reported to be crowding BRAC Seed and Agro Enterprise, which has a market share of 36 per cent of potato seeds, while BRAC dealers are also charging high prices, citing the seed shortage. Other private seed traders are also reported to have increased the price. Farmers, who have staged demonstrations, blame syndicates of seed dealers and traders for creating the crisis to manipulate the price. Dealers and businesspeople are reported to be charging Tk 100鈥�150 a kilogram of seed although the price was Tk 65鈥�70 in the past year. Farmers need six to seven maunds or about six sacks of seeds for a bigha鈥檚 farming and such a high price of seeds will certainly increase the production cost of the crop. Many producers struggle to get the required amount of seeds even after paying the high price. The Department of Agricultural Extension seeks to explain the shortage by saying that more farmers are now interested in potato farming and that many have sold seeds as 鈥榝ood potatoes鈥� because of the high price of the item, which has allowed syndicates to increase the prices. What such an explanation suggests is that the department does not have enough data on potato production and the necessary arrangement for it. It neither has taken any initiative to break the syndicates.
The authorities should, therefore, immediately look into the issue. The authorities need to assess the shortage, break the syndicates and take steps to provide farmers with seeds at an affordable price. The agricultural department also needs to have updated data on crop production and facilitate the producers accordingly.
