Hilsha losing market in India

They said Indian traders importing the items in less quantities for what they said its high price and loss of taste.

Bangladesh exports Hilsha mainly through Banapole land port. In India, the peak season for importing Hilsha is from August 1 to August 20.

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Only 72 trucks each loaded with 4,000 kilograms entered India from August 1 till August 16. Eleven hundred such trucks entered India during the same period last year.

Some exporters said that two years back, they could buy Hilsha each weighing more than three kilograms. But this year, they could not buy such big size, generally considered as export quality.

Besides, price has risen, discouraging its import by Indian fish traders.

According to exporters, Hilsha is selling at around Tk 200 per kg in Kolkata markets this season against Tk 60 to 80 last year.

"We are importing Hilsha from Myanmar and then exporting it to India. As a result, it has become quite impossible to retain the export market of this perishable item because of high cost", an exporter said here.

"This year I incurred a huge loss by exporting Hilsha", he said.

Exporters will lose interested in this business if the government does not look into this matter, another exporter said.