Padma Hilsa Missing from Kolkata Plates! Myanmar & Gujarat Fish Now Take Centre Stage

This year, Kolkata’s love story with Padma Hilsa (from Bangladesh) is on hold. With extremely limited supply and rising prices, fish traders and consumers are turning to hilsa from Myanmar and Gujarat instead.

Traditionally, Padma Hilsa is a must during festivals like Jamai Shashti and Durga Puja. But with poor imports and high costs (₹1,800–₹2,000/kg), people are choosing affordable options.

Why the shift?
Myanmar hilsa has softer bones and better availability
Gujarat hilsa is cheaper and accessible
Local demand is high, but Padma supply is low

Even fish markets like Sealdah and Gariahat are filled with non-Bangladeshi hilsa varieties. Experts say this may be the start of a long-term trend unless import policies and cross-border agreements improve.

Can India invest more in domestic hilsa production?
Will local hatchery-based solutions meet this growing demand?

One thing is clear: consumer preferences are changing fast—and the fish business must keep up!