The report analyses the market situation over the year 2016.

In recent years, the demand for freshwater prawn (Galda) in Bangladesh has evolved strongly in the country’s domestic fishery trade. Local demand gets priority over exports due to high domestic demand and good retail prices. During the 2016 production season from October to December 2016), retail prices of large-sized, head-on prawn (4–5 piece per kg) in Dhaka ranged from US$20.00–25.00 per kg. Retail prices for the medium and smaller sizes ranged from US$7.00–12.00 per kg. In comparison, the export price for 4–6 per lb counts of headless shell-on products to the USA was US$22.00 per kg.

Supplies from the main producing southern regions, Khulna and Barisal, are diverted to the country’s largest urban consumer base (20 million) in Dhaka as well as to popular tourist destinations in Chittagong, Cox’s Bazar, and Sylhet. The domestic market in Bangladesh absorbs almost 75 percent of the country’s annual production of freshwater prawn, around 45 000–46 000 tonnes. This trend is likely to continue rising due to the growing middle and affluent classes in urban Bangladesh.

Photo: Freshwater prawns displayed at a retail market in Bangladesh (© Fatima Ferdouse)

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