After a long struggle, the Hilsa of Bangladesh arrived in Howrah. Bangladesh’s ‘Rupoli grain’ is being sold in the wholesale market of Howrah since Friday morning. Wholesalers said that a total of 10 metric tons of Hilsa has arrived in Howrah. They said that the fish will reach all the retail markets of the district by Friday.
The price of Hilsa has fluctuated between Rs 1,450 and Rs 1,600 per kg in the Howrah wholesale market since Friday morning. However, this price may fluctuate based on supply and demand, traders said. A total of 40 metric tons of Hilsa have arrived in the state so far from Bangladesh. Hilsa from Bangladesh entered the country through the Petrapol border on Thursday. Some more quantity of Hilsa may enter the state through Petrapol-Benapol land port on Friday.
Happy sellers sell Padma Hilsa in the market before Puja. It has been reported that Hilsa will reach all the markets in Kolkata from Friday. However, fishmongers are skeptical about how much the price of this fish is within the reach of the middle class. Sukumar Mallik, who sells fish in a local market in Howrah, said, “In the wholesale market, the price of Hilsa is going up to Rs 1700 per kg. Prices will increase further in the retail market. As a result, it is not clear how many people will be interested in buying Hilsa.” However, Syed Anwar Maqsood, editor of Kolkata’s Fees Importers Association, said, “If the supply increases, the price of Hilsa may decrease before Puja. In that case, even middle-class people will wear Hilsa in the puja.”