Hilsa fish. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, Sept. 12: The prices of meat and fish are likely to rise because of supply problems.

Fish sellers are experiencing a shortage of local fish varieties — hilsa and prawn — owing to flood in the Mahanadi river and its tributaries.

While fish traders hope that increase in per kilogram price of prawn will vary from Rs 125 to Rs 150 depending on the size, the hilsa rate might also double.

Tiny fish, which were sold at Rs 60 a kg, reached Rs 80 to Rs 120 this morning. Rohu is selling almost at the same price of Rs 120 a kg as the fish is supplied from Andhra Pradesh. However, post-flood, prawn varieties from freshwater sources like rivers have jumped to a price band of Rs 50 to Rs 150 a kg.

“Earlier, prawns — from the small sized to the tiger ones — were sold from Rs 200 to Rs 300 a kg. Now, it has reached Rs 350 to Rs 500 and might go up further from Wednesday as the market rates go up on every Wednesday and Friday in Bhubaneswar,” said Alam Khan, a fish retailer at Unit-IV market.

Golani Behera, another retailer, said: “Hilsa is selling at Rs 450 a kg. Since flood has wiped away the hope to catch more hilsa near the river mouths, the rate might reach Rs 800 or more. Once the water recedes and the weather becomes sunny, the local varieties will start coming. However, except fish consignments coming from Andhra Pradesh, there is no hope to get the local produces. The prices will be on the higher side.”

Fish merchant Kanhu Charan Behera said: “In case of a mild flood, the condition is manageable, but this year, as the flood is bigger, fish supply from local suppliers will be affected in a bigger way. Now, if the situation improves, there is a hope of fresh supply and the prices will go down.”

Secretary of the All India Jamiatul Quresh Sk Sarjaan Qureshi said though there was no hike in meat price, there had been a drop in its sale. “For three to four days, we have been getting our supply. However, there is a problem as we cannot get goats from the nearby areas owing to flood. After a week there might be a change in price. At present, mutton is selling at Rs 280 a kg,” he said.

Chicken price, however, remained constant at Rs 130 a kg, sources at Unit-IV market said.