TCB to sell potato amid price hike
State-owned Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) will sell potato at Tk 25 a kg under its open market sales programme to tame the soaring price of the widely-consumed vegetable in the neighborhood market.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi disclosed this after a gathering with cold storage owners and traders of potato at the retail and wholesale level at his secretariat office in Dhaka, according to a news release from the ministry.
The ministry did not say since when the TCB would commence retailing potato through its trucks.
The move came as potato has been sold for Tk 55 to Tk 60 per kg in the united states, up from Tk 35 and Tk 40 a few days ago.
At the meeting, the minister said there is no crisis of potato. There can be an adequate supply of the item in the market to meet up the demand of the consumers.
"The costs of potato have risen due to the damages faced by other crops and vegetables during recent floods and excessive rains in many districts," the ministry said.
The Department of Agricultural Extension has recently fixed the costs of potato at Tk 23 a kg at the cold storage level, Tk 25 at the wholesale level, and Tk 30 at the retail level, the statement said.
However, the businessmen aren't following government-fixed prices and are charging higher prices.
