Mangaluru (TOI): With the severity of rain reducing, the prices of fish have dropped considerably—by one-third of the peak levels seen three to four months back and half of the retail price seen last fortnight.
Seer fish is retailing at Rs 350 to Rs 400 per kilo from a peak of Rs 1,000 seen three months back. However mackerel is still at a peak rate of Rs 250 per kg.
Just a month ago, the cost of premium variety of fish has reached unheard levels with white pomfret costing more than Rs 1,100. Even the humble sardines were retailing at Rs 150, and mackerel, another staple food for fish eaters, was being sold Rs 300, another high compared to previous years.
Deputy director fisheries MD Prasad said: The purse-seiners whose main catch is mackerel and sardines have started going for fishing from the past two days. The catch has been low. But things should improve in another week.
For a week now, white pomfret is being sold at Rs 690 per kg, 40% down from the peak levels, indicating that the catch has been good. Even black pomfret prices have reduced by 50%, at Rs 300 per kilo. Sardines also saw a price decrease at Rs 105 per kilo from a high of Rs 150 per kilo last month. The sardine prices had seen a steady decline from the previous month by 10% every week. Smaller mackerels were sold in the market for Rs 170 per kg.
At the beginning of the month, seer fish (whole) was retailing at Rs 780 to Rs 810 per kg, white pomfret was priced at Rs 1,100 per kg; black pomfret at Rs 605 per kg; sardines at Rs 150 per kg, and mackerel Rs 300 per kg.
The price of a seer fillet at the popular Narayana Hotel in Bunder was Rs 145 from a high of Rs 200 per filler seen in the previous months. The price of fried mackerel was also down by 50% at Rs 60 from a high of Rs 110 a piece.
