Supply at Chandpur fish ghat was thin at the start of the season, but hilsa arrivals at the wholesale depots have suddenly risen several-fold, cutting prices by Tk 200-300 a kg. Where 50-60 maunds of hilsa used to reach the ghat each day, 400-500 maunds are now arriving.

From morning to midday on 24 July, the Chandpur Boro Station fish ghat, one of the country's largest fish landing centres, was bustling.

A visit found that catches from the Padma and Meghna rivers at Chandpur are still below expectations, but the depots are loud with trading thanks to hilsa arriving from the southern region. Since morning, fishermen had brought large quantities of hilsa to the ghat by river and road, which is why prices fell.

Abdul Ahad, who came to buy hilsa, told Jago News: "I saw a lot of hilsa at the ghat. I come now and then, but today I saw a bustling market. Prices have dropped a little, but they need to fall more. I hope supply will rise further, and then prices will be within our reach."

Hilsa trader Kamal Hossain said some hilsa had started arriving over the past two days, but supply was still well short of demand. Prices fall when supply rises.

In Chandpur's market, 1 kg hilsa were seen selling at Tk 2,100-2,200, against Tk 2,500 to Tk 2,700 last week. Fish of 700-800 grams were selling at Tk 1,900-2,000.

Shobe Borat Sarkar, general secretary of the Chandpur Fish Traders' Association, said hilsa supply had risen suddenly, which was not the case even two days earlier. Falling prices compared with last week had brought some relief.

He said 400-500 maunds of hilsa had arrived that day, but if supply did not keep rising, prices were unlikely to fall further. Prices would, however, stay low through this week.

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