Cheaper fish going out of reach

The recent hike in fuel prices has affected the fish market along with the others as production and transport costs have seen subsequent rise.

The cheaper varieties of fish, such as Pangas and Tilapia, are now going out of reach of the low-income people.

On Friday, Tilapia and Pangas fish were sold at Tk 200 per kg at various kitchen markets in Dhaka city.

The matter came as a shock to Atikur Rahman, who works at a private company, when he went to Rampura kitchen market in the morning and saw that prices of all types of fish have gone up.

“I couldn’t buy Rui, Katla or Hilsa because they were very costly. So I had to go for Tilapia and Pangas because that’s all I could afford,” he said.

“Just a day ago, Tilapia and Pangas were sold at around Tk 150. Today, sellers are demanding around or over Tk 200. This is outrageous,” said the disgruntled man.

Visits to the kitchen and fish markets around the city on Friday revealed that fish prices have increased from Tk 30 up to Tk 70 per kg depending on the types in a week. Fish traders have blamed increased transport costs, caused by fuel tariff hikes, for the rise in prices.

The fish prices

Depending on their sizes, Pangas now costs between Tk 170 and Tk 200 per kg while Tilapia costs between Tk 200 and Tk 240.

On Friday, Katla weighing between 1.5 kg and 2 kg was sold at Tk 300-350 per kg while the price was Tk 400-450 for those weighing 2 kg to 4 kg.

Big-size Boal was sold at Tk 650-700 per kg while the small-sized ones were sold at Tk 400-500. Cultivated Koi fish price was Tk 200-220 per kg.

Meanwhile, Hilsa weighing 500 to 600 grams was sold at Tk 700-800 per kg while the big-sized ones were sold at Tk 1,400-1,600 per kg.

Rui weighing 1.5 kg to 2 kg was sold at Tk 300-350 per kg while the price was Tk 450-500 for the ones weighing 2 kg to 4 kg.

Pabda was sold at Tk 500-600 per kg, Tangra at Tk 600-650 per kg, local Shing at Tk 850-1,000 per kg, cultivated Shing at Tk 400-500, Shol (mudfish) at Tk 500, Magur at Tk 650-750, and Taki at Tk 450-500 per kg.

Egg price decreasing

While the fish prices are climbing, the price of eggs slightly went down over the past two days, showed visits to the kitchen markets.

A dozen of eggs cost Tk 160 till last Tuesday. But on Friday, the rate dropped between Tk 145 and Tk 150.

Consumers were able to buy four eggs for Tk 50 or less. Two days ago, they cost at Tk 55-60. According to buyers and sellers, the egg price started dropping after Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi on Wednesday said eggs will be imported if the rate does not go down.