Indian traders have once again applied for Bangladeshi hilsa ahead of the coming Durga Puja. India's Fish Importers Association has written to the Bangladesh government seeking permission for hilsa shipments.
According to commerce ministry sources, the Indian trade body, as in previous years, has sent separate letters to the Prime Minister's Office, the foreign ministry and the commerce ministry.
The commerce ministry says hilsa exports for the puja are being viewed positively, though the quantity to be exported has not yet been decided.
Meanwhile, 18 Bangladeshi companies have already applied to export hilsa to India. On Wednesday, 9 September, the commerce ministry was to write to the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock for the applications to be vetted.
Commerce Secretary Ataur Rahman Khan told the media: "We have received the Indian traders' letter. How much hilsa can be exported will be decided in consultation with the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock."
What the Indian traders wrote
The Indian traders' letter says that after 1996 an average of five thousand tonnes of hilsa was exported to India each year, but exports stopped after 2012 for unknown reasons. Since September 2019, the Bangladesh government has granted special permission to export hilsa only for one month around Durga Puja. According to the traders, this short and limited permission ultimately brings no effective benefit.
The letter adds that while permission is usually given towards the end of September, this year they have asked for it earlier.
Approvals versus actual exports
In September 2019, after a long break, Bangladesh approved the export of 500 tonnes of hilsa to India. In 2020, 1,850 tonnes were approved but exports fell short of that amount. In 2021, 1,200 tonnes were shipped against approval for 4,600 tonnes.
In 2022, 2,900 tonnes were approved but only 1,300 tonnes were actually exported. In 2023, 3,950 tonnes were approved and 1,300 tonnes went to India. The figures give 2,420 tonnes approved for 2025, of which only 577 tonnes were exported, and say that most recently, last year, only 150 tonnes reached India against approval for 1,200 tonnes.
Source: Jagonews24. First published in Bengali on The Agro News.
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