New potatoes have started hitting the market in Dinajpur. Rail and Bahadur were seen selling new potatoes in the market. New potatoes are being sold at a maximum retail price of Tk 400 per kg.
Anwar Hossain, a farmer of Dinajpur Majadhanga village in Chealgazi Union No. 1, Sadar Upazila, and a few other farmers sold the early varieties of potatoes grown in their fields on Thursday (November 17).
The new Galena variety of potatoes retailed at a maximum of 400TK kg. And the minimum sold is 200Tk.
Buyers and sellers said that the price of potatoes is high because of the new vegetable and Navanna festival of the year.
Farmer Anwar Hossain said that he has grown Genla potatoes of early variety on one acre of land. Thursday brought the first market. Got 13 kg of potatoes in 13 rows. But not yet matured well. It will take another seven days.
He also said that 13 kg of potatoes were sold at the Bahadur market for Tk 150 per kg to a raw material trader for Tk 1950. Pick the rest of the potatoes when they are mature and big. He is happy with the new price.
Raw material trader Enamul Haque, who bought potatoes from farmer Anwar Hussain, said he bought 13 kg of potatoes at Tk 150 and sold them at Tk 200 to 250 per kg. He said that there is a lot of demand for new potatoes.
Another raw material trader, Mominul Islam, said that a farmer brought new potatoes to the Bahadur market today. He got about 10 kg of new potatoes. Potatoes sold at Tk 200 to 280 per kg.
He also said that new early varieties of potatoes will be available in the market within the next week. Then the price will also decrease.
Two farmers named Tia and Surjo (nicknames, their full names could not be known) brought new varieties of potatoes for sale at Rail Bazaar, another well-known market in the city. Out of this farmer, Surjo brought 10 kg and Tia five kg of potatoes.
Going to the Dinajpur Rail market, it is seen that only 15 kg of new potatoes has arrived in the market. There is a huge rush of buyers to buy new potatoes. Some people buy 100 grams and some buy 500 grams because the price is high.
Prakash Sarkar, who came to the market, said, ‘Friday is our new year. So I came to buy what is emerging in the new market. I saw new potatoes growing in the market. 300 Tk per kg. In the morning, up to Tk 400 was sold.
Another buyer named Manik Basak said, “We need new potatoes as vegetables. The price of that potato is 400 Tk! Anyway, we have to take our needs, so we obliged. The shopkeeper won’t give below 400 Tk, finally, I could buy it for 300 Tk. Couldn’t get one kg, so bought half a kg (500 grams).’
A potato seller named tia said, “I have not grown new potatoes like that yet. So the market price is high. Again tomorrow (Friday) Navanna. Those who renovate have to buy new vegetables. That’s why market potatoes are so expensive.
Surjo, a potato seller, said, ‘I am bringing only 10 kg of potatoes. Bought from Bahadur Bazaar for Tk 240. Selling for 300 Tk. 300 Tk. Some are buying 100 grams, some 200 grams.’
