|| Md. Ruhul Amin, Bogura: Potato farmers in Shibganj and Mokamtala areas of Bogura are facing another round of financial losses this season as market prices have fallen well below production costs. Many farmers say they cannot even recover half of their investment by selling potatoes stored in cold storage facilities. Having suffered losses last year, many farmers borrowed money in the hope of better prices this season and stored their potatoes in cold storages. However, instead of improving, the market situation has worsened, increasing their financial burden. As a result, many are reluctant to withdraw their potatoes from storage. Farmers said the production cost of potatoes was around Tk 17 per kilogram. However, potatoes of the Stick variety are now selling at around Tk 11 per kg, while Pahari variety potatoes are fetching Tk 20 per kg. In addition to production expenses, farmers must also bear cold storage charges, sack and packaging costs, and transportation expenses. With the potato harvesting season approaching in other areas, farmers fear that market prices may fall further due to increased supply. Milton Mia, manager of New Kafela Cold Storage in Shibganj, said many potatoes had yet to be sold or withdrawn because of weak market demand. The scheduled deadline for keeping potatoes in cold storage is November 15. The 17 cold storage facilities in Shibganj and Mokamtala have a combined storage capacity of 156,043 metric tonnes. Around 40 per cent of the stored potatoes are still lying in these facilities. Due to low demand and falling prices, many farmers and traders are reluctant to withdraw their potatoes. Considering the high cost of electricity and other operational expenses, the Cold Storage Owners Association has decided to take steps to clear the storage facilities after November 15. Several cold storages in the district have already issued notices warning that if potatoes are not withdrawn within the stipulated deadline, the authorities will form committees and arrange for the sale of the stored potatoes. Talking to farmers, it was learnt that production costs have increased this year due to higher expenses for seeds, fertilisers, pesticides, irrigation and labour. Cold storage rental and preservation costs have added to the financial burden. However, falling wholesale prices have forced farmers to sell potatoes at rates far below their production costs. Azizur Rahman, a potato farmer from Shibganj, stored 200 sacks of potatoes in a cold storage facility. His investment per sack ranged from Tk 1,950 to Tk 2,000. However, each sack is now selling for only Tk 950 to Tk 1,000, leaving him with an estimated loss of Tk 800 to Tk 900 per sack. Another farmer, Mayabur Rahman, said Stick variety potatoes were selling at Tk 550 per sack from cold storage facilities, while the storage charge alone was Tk 400. "After calculating the other expenses, we are heading towards losses again this year," he said. Potato trader Abu Sayeed Sardar said the total cost, including the purchase price and other expenses, stood at around Tk 1,100 per sack of Stick variety potatoes. However, the potatoes were now selling for only Tk 550 to Tk 600 at the cold storage gate, resulting in a loss of around Tk 500 per sack. "If this situation continues, traders will be pushed to the brink of financial ruin," he added. Milton Mia, manager of New Kafela Cold Storage in Shibganj, said the facility had a storage capacity of 150,000 sacks, of which around 54,000 sacks of potatoes remained in storage.He said the potatoes had not yet been sold or withdrawn due to weak market demand. The deadline for withdrawing potatoes is November 15. The situation is almost similar in all 17 cold storage facilities in the upazila.