The power outages that are frequently occurring in Bangladesh are driving up the costs of potato storage, ultimately escalating the prices of essential food items. Potato prices have experienced significant increases, and traders are concerned that rates could rise further due to the heightened storage costs. In addition, several vegetable prices have seen an increase.
A potato and vegetable trader at Rayerbazar-Beribadh, said that the price per sack of cardinal variety soared to Tk 27-28 per kilogram at the cold-storage level, excluding transport costs. He expressed concerns that prices might continue to rise as cold-storage operators raise fees to preserve potatoes.
A farmer-trader based in Nilphamari said that he stored 2500 sacks of potatoes (50 kilograms per sack) at Sajeda Cold Storage in Saidpur. Initially, the fare per sack was fixed at Tk 300, but now the owner is requesting an increase in charges due to load shedding, which has caused a surge in their operating costs.
[ Tk100 = €0.86 ]
