RANGPUR, Oct 22, 2021 (BSS) - Cold storage owners here today said 50

percent potatoes stored in 80 cold storages in Rangpur division are remaining
unsold due to recent closure of hotels and restaurants amid the Covid-19
pandemic across the country.

   Although the Covid-19 situation has improved, many farmers and traders are
not picking potatoes from cold storages as the market price is lower than the
production and preservation cost.

   If the stored potatoes are not marketed within the next two months, cold
storage owners of Rangpur division also feared a loss of Taka one thousand
crore.

   Cold storage owners of Rangpur division made the observation at a views-
exchange meeting arranged by Rangpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry (RCCI)
at its RCCI auditorium.   

  Presided over by RCCI President Mostafa Sohrab Chowdhury Titu, owners and
representatives of cold storages from all eight districts of Rangpur division
attended the event.

   Senior Vice-president of Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and
Industries (FBCCI) and former President of Bangladesh Chamber of Commerce
(BCI) and RCCI Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu attended as the chief guest.

   Founder of TMSS and President Bogra District Cold Storage Owners
Association Professor Dr Hosne Ara Begum, Vice-president of Bangladesh Cold
Storage Association and Managing Director of Ijab Group Md. Ishtiaque Ahmed,
Managing Director of Yunus Group Mohammad Yunus, former President of RCCI and
former Director of FBCCI Bir Muktijoddha Md Mosaddek Hossain Bablu, Chairman
of Razzak Group and President of Thakurgaon Chamber Habibul Islam Bablu were
present as special guests.

   A number of cold storage owners expressed their views and forwarded
suggestions on the overall situation of potatoes stored in cold storages and
future strategy in the 2022 potato storage season.

   They urged the government to take immediate steps to address the situation
as 50 percent of the potatoes stored in 80 cold storages in the division
still remain unsold.

   Mostafa Azad Chowdhury Babu said there are two months left for marketing
of potatoes stored in cold storages this season.

   "If stored potatoes are not marketed, those will remain unsold. There will
be no way out except to throw those away," he said and urged the government
to provide subsidies to cold storage owners to compensate for their huge
losses.

   "Farmers and traders are now reluctant to take out potatoes from cold
storages as the market price of the commodity is lower than the production
and preservation cost," he said.

   The owners of cold storages of Rangpur division are about to sit on the
roads with losses they incurred for six years in the last 10 years.

   He called upon cold storage owners to unite and become acceptable to the
government for resolving their problems alongside forming their organisations
in each district.