Hilsa price flies too high

Hilsa was being sold at an exorbitant price in the city’s kitchen markets in last few days as hoarders were making excessive profit, cashing on the festival of Pahela Baishakh, the first day of Bangla new year that falls on April14.
Traders admitted that the fish was retailing at high price and said usually the price of Hilsa went up during the period every year as it is the most favourite item in the dining menu on the occasion of Pahela Baishakh.
Hilsa weighing around 500 grams to 1.5 kg was being sold at Tk 600 to Tk 4,000 a piece depending on its quality on Friday.
According to the traders, this year the supply of Hilsa is higher than last year and the item was selling at different prices in different markets.
‘It is true the supply of Hilsa is higher than last year, but the number of consumers also increased who buy the item on asking rate without bargain,’ Bimal Chandra Barman, a Hilsa trader at Shantinagar kitchen market told New Age on Tuesday.
Though there was no supply shortage on the market, wholesalers were charging extra price for the item as this is the season for the Hilsa traders to make some profit, he said.
According to Bimal, Hilsa weighing around 800-900 grams were available in the market and the item are selling at Tk 1,800 –Tk 2000 a piece in the name of 1 kilogram size.
Some low quality Hilsa having the same weight were being sold at Tk 900-Tk 1,200 a piece, he said.
He said that Hilsa weighing around 1.2-1.5 kg was being sold at Tk 2500-Tk 2600 a kg at Shantinagar kitchen market.
‘We know the customers and the asking price of Hilsa depend on the class of consumers,’ said Md Maruf, a Hilsa trader at Karwan Bazar kitchen market.
Md Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, a businessman living in Monipuri Para in the capital, bought 4 Hilsa (weighing around 1-1.2 kg each) from Maruf at Tk 24,000 on Tuesday.
Another customer Abu Rayhan, a private service holder, bought 2 pieces of Hilsa of same quality from the same vendor at Tk 3,000 on the day.
According to Maruf, there was no standard of Hilsa price; it depends on bargaining capacity of traders as they know the buyers who will buy the item.
He said that the Hilsa weighing around 1.2-1.5 kg was being sold at Tk 4,000 a piece at Karwan Bazar kitchen market.
Hilsa weighing around 500 grams to 600 grams was selling at Tk 500 to Tk 700 a piece on Tuesday.

News Courtesy: www.newagebd.net