July–August is the peak hilsa season. Early in the season supply was low, so hilsa sold at high prices in the capital and in markets large and small across the country. By mid-season supply has risen, and the fish is now available somewhat cheaper.

A visit to several Dhaka markets on the morning of Friday 15 August found hilsa prices a little lower than before, though buyers said they should come down a bit more.

At the Haji Kujrat Ali Molla Market at Mirpur-12, hilsa was on sale at two shops. One was selling at Tk 2,600 a kg; the other was selling 850–900g fish for Tk 1,800.

The two sellers said hilsa that cost Tk 3,000–3,200 a kg last week was Tk 2,400–2,600 this week.

At the Muslim Bazar at Mirpur 11.5, hilsa was selling at Tk 2,400 a kg and jatka (young hilsa) at Tk 500–800 a kg. Sellers there also said prices had fallen somewhat.

Mohammad Sukur Mollah, selling hilsa at Tk 2,600–2,650 at the Kujrat Ali Molla Market, said there was plenty of fish in the market this week. Small hilsa are more common and a little cheaper, he said. The price difference comes from hilsa from Chattogram versus the Padma: Chattogram hilsa is cheaper, while his were from the Padma and cost more to buy.

A buyer named Howlader, looking at big hilsa, said he would wait for the price to fall a bit more before buying.

At the Muslim Bazar, too, buyers of small hilsa were more numerous. One buyer was seen buying six or seven jatka, and said he had paid Tk 600 a kg for small hilsa.

A seller named Masud said hilsa was selling at Tk 2,400 a kg, half-kilo fish at Tk 1,300, and small hilsa (three to a kilo) at Tk 800.

Checks at several other markets in the capital also found prices slightly lower. But data from the Trading Corporation of Bangladesh (TCB) show that hilsa is selling at retail on average 16 per cent dearer this year than last year. Hilsa now costs Tk 800–2,000 a kg in the capital, against Tk 800–1,600 last year.

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