A massive ammonia gas leak at Sherpur’s only private cold storage facility has caused around 57,000 sacks of stored potatoes to rot, leaving hundreds of farmers and traders facing severe financial losses.
The incident at Taj Cold Storage in the BSCIC Industrial Estate has also raised concerns over a possible shortage of seed potatoes ahead of the next cultivation season, as many farmers had preserved their produce for use as seeds.
The leak occurred on 14 July after a pipe in the refrigeration unit of the cold storage facility burst due to a mechanical fault. Toxic ammonia gas spread from the damaged pipe, forcing the authorities to seek assistance from the Fire Service after their initial efforts to control the situation failed.
Although the leak was eventually brought under control, the damage had already been done. By then, however, significant damage had already been done.,
Around 57,000 sacks of potatoes stored in the second of the facility’s three storage chambers were completely damaged. The quantity is estimated at more than 3,100 tonnes, said officials.
Soon after the extent of the damage became known, affected farmers and traders gathered at the cold storage facility, demanding compensation from the authorities.
Many farmers said they had taken loans to cultivate potatoes and stored the produce at the facility to preserve seed potatoes for the next season. The loss of their stored crops has now pushed them into financial uncertainty.
“If the government and the cold storage authorities do not compensate us, many farmers will be left with no option,” said farmer Hamidur Rahman.
He said he had borrowed money to buy seeds, fertiliser and pesticides and had stored the potatoes at the facility expecting to use them as seeds. “Now everything has been destroyed. We do not know how we will recover this loss,” he added.
Another farmer, Rahmat Ali, said he had relied on the cold storage to keep his potatoes safe. “We stored the potatoes here because we believed they would remain protected. But a gas leak destroyed everything. Buying seed potatoes again at higher prices will be extremely difficult for poor farmers like us,” he said.
Farmer Solaiman said the incident had affected not only their crops but also their future plans. “We cannot bear this loss alone. We want compensation from the cold storage authorities and the government. Steps must also be taken to prevent such incidents in the future,” he said.
Potato trader Abdul Gani said he had stored 1,640 sacks of local potatoes at Taj Cold Storage and lost all of them due to the gas leak. He estimated his financial loss at several hundred thousand taka.
According to the Department of Agricultural Extension, Sherpur produced around one lakh 900 tonnes of potatoes last season from 5,045 hectares of land.
As government storage facilities have limited capacity, most farmers in the district depend on private cold storages to preserve their crops and seed potatoes.
Agriculture officials fear the damage at Taj Cold Storage could affect potato production in the coming season, particularly if farmers face difficulties collecting quality seed potatoes.
Taj Cold Storage Manager Md Rafiqul Islam acknowledged that the ammonia leak caused extensive damage. “A mechanical fault led to the ammonia gas leak and a large quantity of potatoes was damaged. We will hold discussions with affected farmers and traders to assess their losses and decide on the next steps,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Bangladesh Food Safety Authority has collected samples of the damaged potatoes to determine whether they pose any health risks if they enter the market.
Abu Naser Mohammad Shafiullah, district food safety officer holding additional charge, said the samples had been sent to a laboratory for examination. “Necessary action will be taken based on the test results,” he said.
Sadar Upazila Nirbahi Officer Asma Binte Rafiq said the district administration had conducted an on-site investigation following instructions from the authorities.
“Necessary administrative measures will be taken after determining responsibility based on the investigation report,” she said.
