The first-ever shipments of 77 tons of potatoes have arrived from India for domestic consumption in Bangladesh - traditionally an exporter of the tuber – as the government tries to ease the price. A company named Gore International of Chapainawabganj brought two trucks of potatoes through Sona Masjid land port on Thursday after getting the government’s approval.
The Agriculture Ministry said the government has granted permission for imports of 107,000 tons of potatoes in three days, starting on Tuesday. Abu Bakar Siddique, the manager of Arham Nitex which is among the firms that got the permission to import potatoes, said they would start imports after analysing the volatile market by taking into consideration a 33 percent duty on potato imports.
Potatoes are now being sold at Tk 60 to Tk 80 per kg (€0.52-0.69) in Dhaka markets, the highest in the country's history. In India, one kg of potatoes costs 20 rupees (€0.22).
Source: bdnews24.com