49 firms allowed to export hilsa to India

The Ministry of Commerce yesterday issued a circular allowing 49 businesses to each export 50 tonnes of hilsa to India marking the upcoming Durga Puja scheduled to begin on October 9.
The businesses had submitted applications based on a September 21 circular, in which the ministry approved the export of 3,000 tonnes of hilsa to India this year citing a foreign ministry recommendation.

Usually, the decision to export hilsa is conveyed to the commerce ministry by the fisheries and livestock ministry, which was initially not in favour of it this year.
In fiscal year 2023-24, Bangladesh exported 664.86 tonnes of hilsa to India at $7.71 million, according to data from the Department of Fisheries. The exported amount was less than 1 percent of the 571,342 tonnes of hilsa caught that year.
In fiscal 2022-23, 1,376.42 tonnes of hilsa were exported for $13.68 million, with 566,593 tonnes of the fish having been caught that year.