The supply of hilsa in Bhola's markets has risen somewhat, with retailers bringing in fish of various sizes. But ordinary buyers are angry about prices. They say they are struggling to buy hilsa and cannot afford the size they want.

At Bhola town's kitchen market around midday on 26 August, retailers had brought hilsa from Tulatuli, Ilisha Junction, Bholar Khal, Nasir Majhi fish landing and other landings. Fish of every size were on offer: one kilo, 700-900g and 200-600g. The market was crowded, but buyers were not happy with prices.

Buyers Md Iqbal Hossain, Khairul Alam and Khushi Akter said they had come to buy hilsa but, with prices high, were struggling to buy the size they wanted. They bought 600-700g fish at Tk 1,700 a kg. They had wanted fish of 900g to one kilo but could not afford them.

Buyers Aklima Begum, Harun-or-Rashid and Shanta Rahman said sellers were asking Tk 2,500-2,700 for one-kilo hilsa. Sea hilsa was Tk 500 cheaper, but they did not buy it because it is not as tasty.

Buyers Farzana Begum, Toyebur Rahman and Md Helal said more than 33 per cent of the country's hilsa is caught in Bhola, yet prices in Bhola are higher than in Dhaka, Chandpur, Barishal and other districts, which they said was unacceptable. They added that prices at the height of the season were higher this year than in previous years.

Hilsa retailers Md Joynal and Md Juyel Byapari said they were selling jatka at Tk 600-700 a kg, 600-900g hilsa at Tk 1,400-2,200 and hilsa of a kilo or more at Tk 2,500-2,700.

Seller Md Mohiuddin said supply had risen somewhat, but prices at the landings had not fallen because demand is high. Retailers buy at high prices at the landings and sell for Tk 100-200 more in the market.

Md Kamal Byapari and Manju Islam, wholesalers at Tulatuli fish landing in Bhola Sadar, said they had taken advances (dadon) from wholesale traders in Dhaka, Barishal and Chandpur and lent the money to fishers. Those wholesalers are now pressing them, but supply has not risen much, so prices remain high. They expect supply to rise next week, when prices should fall by Tk 300-500 a kg.

Bhola district fisheries officer Biswajit Kumar Deb said the peak hilsa season has begun and fishers are catching hilsa well. In a few days the catch will be larger, fishers will get the quantities they want, and prices will fall, he said.

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