In Bhola, a one-kilogram hilsa cannot be had for less than Tk 2,000. With prices high in markets across the district, buyers are struggling to afford hilsa.
Visits to various markets in Bhola on Friday morning found that there had been a two-month ban on catching hilsa and all other fish in the Meghna and Tetulia rivers from 1 March to 30 April, so no hilsa had been seen in the markets and buyers could not get it even if they wanted to. Since the ban ended on 1 May, fishermen have returned to the rivers and begun catching hilsa in groups.
Buyers priced out
Md Tarek, who came to buy hilsa at the Kitchen Market in the town, said he had come to buy hilsa on Friday, his day off, after a long time, and was surprised by the prices of both small and large fish. Traders were not selling a one-kilogram hilsa for less than Tk 2,000, he said.
Md Solaiman, who also came to the same market to buy hilsa for his family, said he could not buy any because the price was beyond his means.
He added that hilsa live in the river and nobody has to farm them, yet their excessive price in the market is unacceptable to ordinary buyers like them.
Traders blame low catches
Md Joynal Hossain, a hilsa seller at the market, said fishermen are currently catching little hilsa, so there is not much supply at the fish landing. "We retailers go to the ghat very early and wait. When fishermen start selling their hilsa at auction through the wholesalers, we sellers compete and bid up the price to buy."
Traders said that in the retail market a hali (four fish) of 400-gram hilsa sells for Tk 1,500-1,600, a hali of 500-gram fish for Tk 2,000 to 2,400, and a hali of fish weighing one kilogram or a little more for Tk 8,000-9,000. They claimed they sell at higher prices because they buy at higher prices.
Bhola district fisheries officer Biswajit Kumar Dey said fishermen are catching less hilsa, so supply is below demand and prices are somewhat higher. There will be a new moon in seven days, and if it rains then, the amount of hilsa will increase, he said.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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