Hilsa hurrah in Barisal markets
Supply of Bay fish dominates river variety
Staff Reporter, Barisal
The Barisal wholesale hilsa market is flooded with huge quantities of hilsa, but much of the fish has come from the Bay. A shortage in the supply of big-size and local hilsa is still persisting from the beginning of the season. Fish wholesalers association president Ajit Das Monu said that the taste of the sweet-water hilsa is far better than the Bay variety. But the demand for these fish is also high. This year, there has been a shortage of river hilsa right from the beginning of the hilsa season. Moreover, big hilsa fishes are also in short supply.
All the trawlers arrived at the port on Thursday morning with hilsa from the Bay, unloading about 2,000 mounds at Barisal Ghat. Similar reports were received from the other 18 wholesale markets for hilsa in the southern region. However, a large number of these hilsa were found to be rotten.
Das said that at least 2,000 maunds of hilsa came to Barisal markets on Thursday and more would come once deep-sea fishing trawlers come ashore. The catch had been possible because pirates were under control, he added.
The average retail price of hilsa, on Thursday, was Tk. 400 per kg for fries below 500 gm, Tk. 700 for 600800 gm size, and Tk. 1,000 for the 1 kg size.
Das said that prices fell by Tk. 2,000 per maund within 24 hours. But the few river hilsas available in the market fetched higher prices.
In the retail market, these sold for Tk. 700 per kg for fries below 500 gms, Tk. 900 for those between 600800 gm, and Tk. 1,700 for the one-kg variety.
Taking advantage of huge supply, ice mill owners increased the rate of ice slabs to Tk. 260 per cane from the existing Tk. 200. Production of ice canes increased to 7,000 pieces per day, from 1,500 pieces. A section of wholesalers were said to be stocking hilsa for selling them at a high price during Durga Puja.
