Fish, chickens become costlier

Fish and chicken prices showed a further hike this week, while hilsa sold at record prices.
Broiler-chicken price increased to Tk 190-210 a kg from Tk 180-190 a kg, whereas Pakistani and Sonali chicken price rose to Tk 290-350 a kg, marking Tk 40 a kg further hike.
Besides, cultured koi, pangas, tilapia, ruhi, katla, kalbaus and pabda witnessed further hike by Tk 30-40 a kg.
Koi was sold at Tk 260-300 a kg, tilapia Tk 220-300 a kg, and pangas at Tk 250-320 a kg in the city markets on Thursday.
Hilsa, the national fish, has become too pricy to avail by most of the nationals. One medium size (800-1,000 gram) hilsa was sold at Tk 1,200-1600 and big size (above 1,000 gram) at Tk 1,600-2,200 depending on size.
The current price of hilsa is an all-time high, considering the peak monsoon season, according to the fish traders' associations.
Habibur Rahman, a fish trader at Karwan Bazar, said hilsa supply from rivers has declined alarmingly this year, resulting in a record price during this peak monsoon season.
He said its supply from the costal belt increased to some extent, but it could hardly put any impact on the market.
Dr Mostafa Ali Reza Hossain, Professor of Fisheries Biology and Genetics Department at Bangladesh Agricultural University, said water pollution in the upper Padma and Meghna rivers, changes in hilsa migration routes, decreased water flow from the Ganges, and unplanned river training works are some major reasons behind the present low catch of hilsa.
The scanty rainfall this year also has an impact on hilsa availability, as drought further squeezed its migration route, he added.

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