RAJSHAHI, June 18: The potato cultivators and traders keep the crops at the cold storage after fixing the rent per bag, but during the time of bringing back the potato, the owners of the cold storages demand higher prices showing different excuses.
Many allegations have been raised against the cold storage owners of different upazilas in the district. The additional incomes are going into the pockets of the owners though they do not pay any tax. So, the customers are facing loss, and the government is losing revenue.
Currently, the rent for keeping per bag (55kg) potato in the storage is Tk 250. When farmers keep more than 55kg in the bag, they have to suffer Tk 2 loss per kg.
Farmers and cold storage owners are in conflict over the issue. Farmers are also incurring losses.
Sources said about 3.5 lakh bags of potato have been preserved at Rahman Cold Storage. There is at least 5 kg potato extra per bag.
There are 32 cold storages in the district. The capacity of each storage is 80 lakh bags.
Sources said about 76 lakh bags are preserved in the 32 cold storages. As per the calculation, the cold storages will earn extra Tk 8 crore.
Last year, Rahman Cold Storage had earned extra amount from the stored potatoes. So, the farmers kept fewer potatoes in the cold storage this year.
While asked, Managing Director of Rahman Cold Storage Abdul Halim said they are storing extra potatoes so that the farmers don't incur loss.
He also said that they are doing so on humanitarian ground. They can't throw away the potatoes.
Affected potato farmers and traders said the owners of the cold storages are trapping them.
For high production cost, they also need to sell the potatoes at a higher price. Thus, customers also have to buy potatoes at a higher rate.
They further said the owners of the cold storages are becoming richer by holding the farmers hostage.
Farmers said the officials of the cold storages give many offers to the farmers but after keeping the crops at their storage, they change their attitude.
The cold storage authority concerned had promised the farmers that they would not charge extra rent for storing potato bags. They also said they would not need to pay any interest for loan.
But, they changed their attitude after keeping the potato bags.
Potato farmer Abdul Khaleq of Paba Modonhati said although the authority concerned had given interest free loan, but while selling, they cut 16 per cent interest.
He further said the farmers and the traders had six months in hand, yet they had cut the interest of the whole year.
They have been doing so for years. He also said the owners of the cold storages talk about their losses. He said if they incur losses, why they set up new cold storages every year?
He also said the farmers are not organised, so they are being cheated.
Local potato farmers held the director of AM Cold Storage captive for charging additional rate than the fixed price against per bag in Tanore Upazila of the district.
On Sunday from 7pm to 8:30pm, hundreds of potato cultivators held the director captive at his office.
On information, police went to the spot and rescued the director from the public rage. They also brought the situation under control.
Police and local potato cultivators said Tk 250 has been fixed for storing per bag of potato in cold storage.
When the farmers went to collect potato bag for selling purpose, the director said that for over 55 kg of potato bag, each farmer will have to pay Tk 2 extra rent. Without paying the rent, they cannot bring out any sack as per the directive of the cold storage owner, said the farmers.
Farmers- Abu Bakkar, Ataur Rahman, Arab Ali, Abdul Matin and Masud Ali said when they were preserving the potato bags, they were asked to pay Tk 250 as rent and Tk 10 as labourer's cost. But they did not set any limit of potatoes in the bag. When they went to collect their bags, they were charged Tk 2 per kg for keeping potatoes over 55 kg in the storage. They alleged that the cold storage owners are extorting them.
Manager of A M Cold Storage Jalal Uddin said they are collecting Tk 260 per bag of 55 kg by the directive of the authority.
He also said that they are charging Tk 2 per sack who kept potatoes of over 55 kg by the directive of the owners.
Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Tanore Police Station (PS) Khairul Islam said potato farmers and the authority concerned of cold storages had a dispute over the rent of the storage.
On information, he sent police to bring the situation under control.
He also said he will sit with potato farmers and cold storage authority to resolve the issue.
General Secretary of Rajshahi District Cold Storage Owners' Association Fazlur Rahman said they will survive if the farmers survive. They have directive from the High Court that they can preserve potato bags of 50 kg.
He further said, as the farmers and the traders have kept more than the fixed amount, they are charging Tk 2 extra.
He also said that they will discuss with the committee considering their losses. He hopes to resolve the problem soon.
