The low and middle-income groups are cutting down their expenses in various ways in an effort to cope with the mounting pressure of commodity prices. They have started to avoid costly food, like fish, meat, in an effort to survive in the changed context.
A low customer turnout was seen at fishmongers during visits to kitchen markets in Shewrapara, Hatirpul, Karwan Bazar, Kathal Bagan in the capital on Friday. The sellers also said the number of customers has declined significantly in recent times.
Almost all fish were already beyond the purchasing power of low-income people. Then the recent price hike appeared on the scene and made living even harder. Only tilapia fish are selling at a cheaper price now and this species makes a large portion of the total sale volume at the fish market.
It is the lone fish item with a price below the Tk 200-mark. Consumers are counting Tk 160 to Tk 180 for one kilogram of tilapia. The second cheapest price is occupied by rui and koi fish as these species were selling at Tk 280 to Tk 350 per kg. But most of the customers now cannot afford rui as each fish weighs more than 1.5 kilogram, which costs a good amount.
The fish traders said most of the customers come to their fish stalls, ask price and leave without buying any fish. They claimed that fish prices did not increase in proportion to essentials’ prices which increased after Eid.
When this correspondent asked a trader about price of a fish at Shewrapara kitchen market, he was irritated, “Will you buy? Or just came here to know the price? Everyone comes, asks price and leaves.”
During a 30-minute stay there, only two customers were seen to have visited the stall. One left the spot after hearing the price of a hilsa fish while the other one took a kg of koi fish for Tk 280. The customer crisis is so acute there that this seller did not even charge the customer for cutting the fish because he was relieved to be able to sell one kg of fish.
A few customers were found during a visit to Hatirpool kitchen market after Jumma prayers. Soon after entering the market, all the traders got into a competition to lure this correspondent into buying fish from them. They offered all sorts of bargains.
Tilapia was the most sold fish species at the market. A trader, Selimullah, was selling each kg of tilapia for Tk 180. When asked how many pieces make a kg, he said three pieces weigh a little more than one kg.
It is hardly possible to cut a tilapia into more than three pieces. Then a kg of tilapia fish will be only nine pieces, which is not sufficient to meet the food demand of a five member family for two meals.
Many have reduced their regular consumption of fish and meat to save on market costs. Sohana Akter, a resident of Rupnagar area of Mirpur and wife of Shamsul Haque who is a quality assessment worker at a garment factory, disclosed her ordeal during a conversation with this correspondent.
Her husband's total monthly income, including overtime pay, is Tk 20,000 to Tk 22,000. With this money, they are struggling to meet basic expenses, which include house rent, children's school fees, and the cost of essentials.
Sohana said, "We have reduced consumption of fish and meat now to save money.”
The common Bengali idioms goes, “mache bhate Bengali,” meaning fish and rice makes a Bengali. But the price hike has made fish a luxury for many.
Each kg of katla fish is now selling at Tk 350 while pabda at Tk 380 to Tk 600, bele at Tk 400 to Tk 600, and hilsa at Tk 750 to Tk 1,800.
Price of small fish is even higher. Mola fish was selling at Tk 400 to Tk 600 per kg on Friday while puti at Tk 350 to Tk 600, and pangas, which is familiar as a fish for the poor, at Tk 200 to Tk 400.
It was found that the cheaper pangas in the market is bigger in size. One has to spend an amount of Tk 500 to Tk 1,000 for a pangas. Then how can low-income people eat fish? They can only afford it if it it is cut up and sold in pieces.
This method of selling fish is widely followed in Kolkata and many other cities of neighbouring India, but it is yet to catch on in Bangladesh.