This year's first shipment of potatoes from India arrived through Hili Land Port on Saturday, aiming to help control the spiraling prices of this vegetable item in the domestic market.

Two trucks loaded with potatoes from India were seen entering Hili Land Port on Saturday morning. Around 35,000 tonnes of potatoes will be imported involving 52 importers through the land port and its first consignment entered Bangladesh, according to the port authority.    

The price of the imported potatoes will cost Tk 20 to Tk 25 per kg in the local market, said a official of the land port.  

On October 30 of last year, the commerce ministry urged its Indian counterpart to permit potato imports due to the price surge in the local market. And today, the first consignment of potatoes reached Bangladesh.

As the information spreads across the country, the price of potatoes has begun to decrease in both wholesale and retail markets.

Meanwhile, intending to control the price of potatoes, the government has once again approved the import of 34,000 tonnes of potatoes through the Hili Land Port from India.

Yusuf Ali, deputy assistant officer of the plant contamination control centre at the land port, said the government has decided to import potatoes to rein in the soaring price of the vegetable. Forty-nine traders will be allowed to start importing the potatoes.