One kg of hilsa is being sold in India for 3000 rupees
September 17, 20242 Mins Read

International Desk:  Amita Mukherjee, a resident of Ballyganj, returned home with a huge hilsa for three and a half thousand rupees from Kolkata market. 'What to do? My family likes hilsa bhaja with khichuri in this weather. As a Bengali it is a food ritual during rains, which is our Mantei. But the tension in the pocket is really high', he lamented.

The interim government of Bangladesh banned the export of hilsa to India. To meet demand, fishmongers in India are either importing illegally or selling frozen stocked hilsa in limited quantities at exorbitant prices.

A kilogram of Bangladeshi hilsa is being sold for three thousand rupees in the country's capital. A fishmonger in Delhi's CR Park Market-1 said, on condition of anonymity, that he and many others were bringing hilsa illegally and selling it at Rs 3,000 per kg. He said, 'Durga Puja is coming, and Bengali buyers want hilsa. We have to meet their needs.'

A wholesale fishmonger in Kolkata's famous Gariahat market spoke similarly. He said that hilsa is being sold for two thousand rupees per kg and the weight of a fish is at least one and a half kg. On condition of anonymity, he said, 'Fish is coming to India illegally through secret channels. India is the largest importer of hilsa.

Before the ban, hilsa was sold for Rs 1,200 to 1,500 per kg in Kolkata and Delhi.

Karim of JK Fish Stall in Adyar is the only Bangladeshi hilsa seller in Chennai. He brought out all his frozen stock and put it on the market. He increased the price of hilsa from 1600 rupees to 2000 rupees per kg. He also said that after the end of the festival, the price will be reduced after a month.

Atri Kumar Sinha, owner of Cloud Kitchen restaurant in Chennai, said, 'The price of raw hilsa is so high that I am forced to sell a piece of vapa hilsa (steamed hilsa in mustard) for Rs 500. Earlier I used to sell it for 350-400 rupees.'

"We serve one piece of hilsa per plate in three sizes – jumbo, super jumbo and mini at Rs 460, Rs 505 and Rs 275," said Santanu Halder, manager of the Koramangala branch of Bhojohari Manna in Bangalore. Since the price of hilsa has really gone up after the ban, we are thinking of increasing the price based on the market conditions.'