TARASH, Sirajganj — As floodwaters recede, traders and laborers across the Chalan Beel fish belt in Tarash and Ullapara upazilas have begun the seasonal rush to produce dried fish at more than 300 drying yards. Officials said about 275.80 metric tonnes of dried fish are targeted for this season, with native fish species supplying the raw material as in previous years.
Traders said raw fish is bought at 4,000 to 10,000 taka per maund. According to Tarash dealers, about 3 kg of raw fish yields 1 kg of dried product, which is then sold wholesale at 12,000 to 20,000 taka per maund depending on the variety.
Traders said monsoon catches in the beel are heavy. Fish bought from local markets in the morning and afternoon are dried on yards. Production began in mid-October. Each yard employs 10 to 15 workers, both men and women, and women are considered the more skilled hands.
Drying has started, but the product will take about another month to reach the market. The bulk of local output goes to the Saidpur wholesale market in the dry season, local traders said.
Tarash dried fish traders Rafiqul Islam and Mofazzal Hossain said output is likely to fall this year because of widespread pond digging in the beel and a weaker flood that has reduced fish supply. Last year produced 30 to 32 metric tonnes; this year, no more than 10 to 12 metric tonnes is possible, they said.
Women workers at the yards said they face stark wage discrimination. A woman earns 250 taka a day while a man earns 500 taka and receives three meals; women are given no food.
Hasan Ali of Barpangashi in Ullapara upazila said fish supply is heavier in the monsoon. Workers buy fish at local markets and dry it on the yards. The dried fish is sold wholesale at markets in Saidpur, Joypurhat, Rangpur and other northern hubs, he said.
Yard workers Hafiza and Shahinur said they take the fish-sorting work to add to household income, earning 250 to 300 taka for six to seven hours a day.
Tarash upazila fisheries officer Md. Mokarrom Hossain said production has started but fish supply is lower than in previous years. He said the upazila is on track for 70 to 80 metric tonnes this season.
Md. Ataur Rahman, senior fisheries officer in Ullapara upazila, said 30 to 35 yards are currently producing dried fish there, and the upazila typically turns out 80 to 100 metric tonnes a year. Output also moves to Dhaka and Nilphamari, he said.
Md. Mahbubur Rahman, the Sirajganj district fisheries officer, said traders are being advised on safe and hygienic drying methods, with regular monitoring. He said demand for Sirajganj’s dried fish extends abroad, with shipments routed through the Nilphamari market to India and other districts.
বাংলায় মূল প্রতিবেদন পড়ুন · Read the original Bengali report