Vendors cash in on sentiment; double Murrel fish prices

The demand for eating fish on ‘Mrugasira Karthi Day’ is high for a long time now and people have a strong belief of consuming it live on the auspicious day; they believe it keeps respiratory ailments at bay. Cashing in on the sentiment, fish vendors of Mrugasira Karthi reaped riches by selling huge quantity of varieties of fish by increasing the price in the local and whole sales markets in the city.

Vice-president of Nagara Gangaputra Sangam fish market Gandla Siva Prasad said, “Every year prices of fish double due to growing demand of consumption by a large number of people. Our market is flooded with 35 tons of varieties of fish, such as ‘murrel’, ‘ravulu’, ‘jillelu’, ‘ bochha’ and others.

The Murrel, which is commonly known as Korramenu or Korramatta, is one of the popular fresh water and tasty fishes sold between Rs 350 and Rs 400 per kg on regular days. It was sold at Rs 700 per kg on Wednesday and in retail shops at Rs 800 per kg. Similarly, cutla or ‘bochha’ is sold between Rs 80 and Rs 100 on regular days now sold at Rs 200 per kg.”