Potato growers in the district on Wednesday staged demonstrations and blocked road in the city’s Mahiganj Satmatha area to press home their eight-point demand, including compensation for the affected growers of the vegetable.
The other demands include purchasing potato by the government from the growers, fixing potato preservation cost at Tk 150 per sack in cold storages and providing loans to the growers.
Witnesses said over 400 growers under the banner ‘Samajtantrik Khetmujur and Krishak Front’ blocked the Rangpur-Kurigram road for one hour from 11 am and vented their anger dumping potatoes on the road.
Due to the strike, vehicular movement on the road remained suspended, causing immense sufferings to passengers.
The aggrieved farmers said they had to spend about Tk 63,200 for cultivating potatoes on one acre of land but the vegetable is now selling at a lower rate compared to the production cost.
Bumper production of potatoes could not make them happy, they said.
The farmers urged the government to take effective steps to ensure fair price of their produce.
On Tuesday, potato growers formed a human chain at Muktarpur on the suburb of the district town of Faridpur demanding fair price of their produce.
Source: UNB Connect
