Lured by high prices during the potato planting season in November last year, farmers expanded cultivation of the tuber at an unprecedented rate this season. 

The commerce ministry today directed the district administrations to ensure sales of potatoes at the government's fixed rate at the cold storages, according to a statement.

The government failed to enforce the price cap on onions and potatoes even for a single day since it issued the order about a month ago.

Potatoes, eggs and onions are not being sold at the price fixed by the government at the retail level despite government agencies conducting raids.

Prices of onions, potatoes, and eggs continue to remain unstable

The commerce ministry’s price cap on onions, potatoes, and eggs barely made an impact on the runaway prices as shopkeepers in the capital have not complied with the order.

The retail price of potatoes should not be more than Tk 35-36 per kilogramme right now, said the leaders of the Bangladesh Cold Storage Association (BCSA) today.

Md Shafiqul Islam, a potato trader in Dinajpur, kept around 2,000 bags of potatoes in cold storage this year in hopes of recovering his losses from the previous season.