First consignment of 2,000 kg Hilsa fish from Bangladesh arrives Agartala ahead of festival

 The first consignment of 2,000 kilograms of Hilsa fish from Bangladesh before ensuing festivities of  Durga Puja, arrived in Tripura on Thursday.

More consignments are expected soon, as the Bangladesh government has approved the export of 12 tonnes of Hilsa at a set price of 9 US dollars (approximately Rs 1,125) per kilogram.

The first consignment of 2,000 kg of Hilsa arrived at Akhaura Integrated Check Post (ICP) on Thursday. A Hilsa fish weighing around one kg is expected to sell in the wholesale markets at a price ranging from Rs 1,800 to Rs 2,000 in Agartala, said a trader.

Last year, the state imported 20 tons of Hilsa from the neighbouring country at a wholesale price ranging from Rs 1,400 to Rs 1,500, he said.

Hilsa imported from Odisha and West Bengal is available in Agartala-based markets and elsewhere. The price is reasonable at Rs 1,600 to Rs 1,800 per kg. The taste of Hilsa from Odisha’s Paradeep, West Bengal, Maharashtra, and Gujarat is not far from what they get in the delicious fish from Bangladesh. The fish traders of Agartala no longer dependent on Bangladesh's Hilsa because of steady supply from various parts of the country, a said the fish trader.