Bangladesh's prized silver hilsa has at last reached Howrah, West Bengal's wholesale fish market. Padma hilsa has been on sale in Howrah's wholesale market since the morning of Thursday (18 September), and a wholesaler said it would reach retail markets in districts across the state the same day.

In Howrah's wholesale market, Bangladeshi hilsa is selling at 1,500 to 1,600 rupees a kilogram, though fish traders said prices could rise or fall with supply and demand.

Late on Wednesday night, a total of 50 tonnes of hilsa in 10 trucks reached India through the Petrapole land port in North 24 Parganas.

Syed Anwar Maqsud, secretary of the Fish Importers' Association, said that as every year, the Bangladesh government had sent hilsa for Durga Puja. "We wrote to the Bangladesh government asking for hilsa. We thank the Bangladesh government for sending the fish," he said.

He said fish supply in Bangladesh had been low, and this consignment could come only after two or three days of stockpiling. According to him, one-kilogram hilsa is selling wholesale at 1,500 to 1,700 rupees.

Anwar Maqsud added that the Bangladesh government had allowed 1,200 tonnes of hilsa this year, but he did not think they would manage to import even 500 tonnes, as time is very short. The deadline for bringing in the fish is 5 October.

Sellers are happy that Padma hilsa has reached the market before the puja. Fish seller Sukumar Mallick said a kilogram of Bangladeshi hilsa was selling at 1,500 to 1,700 rupees in the wholesale market and would sell for 2,000 rupees at retail, so it was unclear how many people would want to buy.

Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.