The Ministry of Commerce has given permission for the export of 3,950 metric tons of hilsa fish to India in celebration of Durga Puja which is a religious festival of Hindu religion. This permission has been granted to 79 different organizations in the country, and each of them can export up to 50 metric tons of hilsa.
Today, the Ministry of Commerce announced this in a press release. The approval for hilsa fish exports will be in effect until October 30th. In simpler terms, companies have until that date to send their hilsa shipments to India.
The Ministry has set out eight conditions for hilsa exports. Some of the important ones include customs authorities inspecting the products allowed for export, the requirement to submit all export documents to the Ministry of Commerce after each shipment, not exceeding the allowed quantity for export, and not transferring the export permit to others. Additionally, hilsa cannot be exported through subcontracting unless an approved exporter is involved.
Traders in Calcutta, India, had expressed a demand for 5,000 tons of hilsa fish for Durga Puja. On September 1st, the Calcutta Fish Importers Association submitted this request to the Bangladesh Sub-High Commission in Calcutta, and it reached the Ministry of Commerce on September 4th.
According to sources within the Ministry of Commerce, in the previous year, 2,900 tons of hilsa were allowed for export during the Puja season, but only 1,300 tons were actually exported. This trend of exports falling short of the approved quantity has been observed in previous years as well, with exports consistently being 30 to 40 percent less than the permitted amount.
