Bangladesh halves Hilsa exports to India, sets Rs 1,100/kg floor price ahead of festive season

Bangladesh has allowed export of 1,200 tonnes of Hilsa to India, which is half of the quantity that it had permitted in 2024 around the same time. The Bangla government has fixed the minimum price of Hilsa exports at Rs 1,100 per kg ($12.5/kg), just ahead of the festive season considering this fish is widely regarded as the connoisseur’s choice.

ET had reviewed a copy of the notification issued by the Bangladesh government. The government in the notification has asked its importers to be ready with all documents for exports to India by September 11.

Syed Anwar Maqsood, secretary of the Fish Importers Association in India, said the exports will begin later this week. "Bangladesh's own Hilsa landing has not been good this year. That is why the volume of exports is less," he said.

Last year, even though the Bangla government had allowed 2420 tonnes of Hilsa export, only 577 tonnes of hilsa could enter in India as the time period of a month was not enough to import the entire volume.

Since 2012, Bangladesh has not been exporting hilsa so that their own demand is met and small-sized hilsa are not caught and sold in the market. But ahead of the festive season in India, Sheikh Hasina’s government would always allow some export to India as a Durga Pujo gift. The hilsa would enter West Bengal from Bangladesh through the Petrapole land border and then rerouted across the country.

There was apprehension that the interim government in Bangladesh under Muhammad Yunus would not export Hilsa to India. "The Hilsa diplomacy seems to be working as for two successive years the Yunus government has allowed exports," said Maqsood.

While local retail price of Bangladesh hilsa is not yet fixed, traders expect it could range between Rs 1,700-2000 per kg depending on the size. Hilsa prices this year has been varying between Rs 1200-1400 per kg with most of the catch coming from Bharuch in Gujarat with severe shortage in supplies from West Bengal.

The Bengal catch is mostly juvenile hilsa weighing between 200-400 gm caught from Bay of Bengal which is illegal and does not taste so well. This rampant fishing of juvenile hilsa is causing severe damage to the hilsa ecosystem in the river Ganges estuary. Fishermen use fine mesh nets to catch even the smallest fish.

Bangladesh hilsa is considered a delicacy, popularly known as ‘Padmar ilish’ (hilsa from river Padma in Bangladesh) and is believed to be of superior quality and taste.