Our Correspondent, Barisal
The Indian Hilsa importers of West Bengal have demanded price-cut of Bangladeshi Hilsa or to face stoppage of export from Bangladesh. Ajit Das alias Monu Babu and Md. Yunus Sikdar, President and Secretary of Bangladesh Fish Exporters Association of Barisal, informed this correspondent that their counter part Atul Das, Chairman of Hilsa Importers Association of West Bengal India, sent a copy of the demand to them in this connection on Tuesday.
Earlier over phone the Indian importers apprised their Bangladeshi counter part in Barisal about their decision and said that the letter signed by Syed Anwar Maksud, Secretary of the organization, was already sent to Bangladesh Commerce Ministry in Dhaka.
In the letter, the Indian importers of Bangladeshi Hilsa fish explained that for the last 15 years, price of Hilsa was fixed on the basis of bargaining between exporter and importer firms.
But in May 2008, the Indian importers was forced to buy Hilsa from Bangladesh at the higher price fixed by Bangladesh commerce ministry.This fixation was against the healthy trend of global open market policy and the importers are facing loss in competition with the Hilsa produced from Orissaya, Gujarat and Maharastra of India, the importers claimed.
“Earlier we tried our best to place the issue before Pranab Mukherjee, Foreign Minister of India to include the issue of reducing price of Bangladeshi Hilsa in his agenda of discussion with Bangladesh government and also to include a member of the association in his visiting team, but we failed. In this backdrop, we have no second choice than stopping the import of non-frozen Hilsa from Bangladesh, they tild the Bangladeshi exporters.
The leaders of Bangladesh Hilsa Exporters Association of Barisal said if the export was stopped it would create adverse affect on the business and economy of the country as the export earning would be decreased and the price in local market would go down as affecting investment in this sector.
However, non-frozen Hilsa from Bangladesh is being exported not only to India, but also to other countries of the world, giving incentives to the exporters like sanctioning of easy termed investment loan, establishing fish processing and packaging plants, or to face stoppage of export from Bangladesh, the Bangladeshi exporters said.
The Bangladesh government in July 2008 fixed minimum price of per kilogram Hilsa weighing between 600 grams and 1000 grams at $6 while for Hilsa between 1kg to 1.5kg at $8. The rate for a Hilsa weighing over 1.5kg was set at $12 per Kg. and the price was average US$ 2-4 per Kg. in previous period.
Courtesy of www.thebangladeshtoday.com
