After a long wait, silvery Padma hilsa from Bangladesh began entering West Bengal before Durga Puja. On Thursday afternoon (26 September), the first 30 to 35 metric tonnes of hilsa crossed into India on six trucks through the Petrapole land port in North 24 Parganas district.

Syed Anwar Maqsud, general secretary of the Howrah Fish Importers Association, told Jago News that the fish would reach Howrah fish market by Thursday midnight. From Friday (27 September), the hilsa will reach wholesale markets in Howrah and elsewhere in West Bengal.

"Bangladeshi hilsa has already arrived at Petrapole. In the first phase, 30 to 35 metric tonnes came in about six vehicles. It will reach the Howrah wholesale market tonight, and from Friday Bangladeshi hilsa will be available in retail markets across West Bengal," Anwar Maqsud said.

"Every year we try to keep the price of hilsa within a thousand rupees a kg, but it never works out. This year the retail price will be between 1,800 and 2,000 a kg," he said.

On 21 September, Bangladesh's commerce ministry said 3,000 metric tonnes of Padma hilsa would be given to India before Durga Puja this year. According to sources, the Bangladesh government finally allowed the export of 2,420 metric tonnes to India. Forty-nine Bangladeshi export firms will ship the fish, and exports will run until 12 October.

Hilsa will be caught in Bangladesh's rivers until 12 October, after which a ban will be imposed. Given that, how much hilsa will finally enter India cannot yet be said for certain.

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