Low supply, along with extortion and high diesel prices, is why hilsa is currently expensive in the country, said Farida Akhter, adviser to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock.

She said hilsa now costs over Tk 2,000 a kg and steps are being taken to bring the price down, including from the Chief Adviser's Office.

She was speaking at a press conference in the conference room of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock at the Secretariat on 21 July.

Asked the reason for the high prices, the adviser said low supply was the main one: hilsa has not yet reached Dhaka in the usual way. There is also extortion, which has not yet been stopped, and diesel prices are high.

Earlier, in her written statement, the adviser said the peak hilsa season had begun. This year efforts were made to protect hilsa through various programmes, including Jatka Protection Week. From 12 June to 20 July, 46,790 metric tonnes of hilsa were caught. According to a Bangladesh Fisheries Research Institute model, hilsa production in 2024-25 could be 5 lakh 38 thousand to 5 lakh 45 thousand metric tonnes. But it also warns that if the declining trend seen in the 2023-24 fiscal year continues, actual production could be lower.

She said: "We have run joint drives to protect jatka with deputy commissioners, the navy, the coast guard and river police, but indiscriminate catching of jatka could not be stopped completely. Added to this are falling river navigability and river pollution, untimely rainfall, excessive heat and so on. In the past week or two, fishermen could not go out because of heavy rain and storms, but those who can go are getting fish."

She added: "Hilsa prices are still beyond the reach of ordinary people. In Dhaka, hilsa under 1 kg still cost more than Tk 2,000. We hope prices will fall when supply to the market increases. The Chief Adviser's Office has already taken steps to control hilsa prices. However, hilsa prices are comparatively lower in Barishal and Chattogram."

The adviser said that, to meet the demand of expatriates living in various countries as well as the people living at home, an initiative has been taken to export hilsa on a trial basis, initially to one or two countries, especially those with relatively large numbers of expatriate Bangladeshis.

She said the export of 11 thousand metric tonnes of hilsa to Saudi Arabia has been approved and will be sent by October.

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