Meat, fish markets across Odisha witness rush as people celebrate Chhadakhai

Bhubaneswar: As people across Odisha are celebrating Chhadakhai today, meat and fish markets across the state witnessed a massive rush. From the early morning hours, people thronged local markets to buy non-vegetarian items after a month-long abstinence due to the holy Kartika month.

In Bhubaneswar, rohu fish is selling between ₹200 and ₹250 per kg, while the price of hilsa has skyrocketed to ₹1,800 per kg. Crab is being sold at ₹1,200 a kg, and mutton prices range from ₹750 to ₹900 depending on locality. The rates are similar in Cuttack as well. Chicken prices too have gone up due to the surge in demand: broiler at ₹240, Banaraj at ₹300, and country chicken at ₹500 per kg.

Traders expect record sales 

According to the All Odisha Non-Veg Traders’ Federation, the total business in fish, prawn, crab, and meat is expected to touch between ₹5 crore and ₹7 crore this Chhadakhai. Federation president Sheikh Muntakim Box said, “Chhadakhai is like a festival for non-veg traders. Every year, nearly ₹4 crore worth of mutton is sold on this day, but this year, we expect the sales to rise further.”

Traders estimate that over ₹2.5 crore worth of fish, prawns, and crabs will be sold today alone. Around 2,000 kg of goat meat and 50 quintals of chicken meat are expected to be sold in Bhubaneswar.

In the capital city, there are nearly 20 mutton shops in the Unit-4 market and over 300 meat outlets in localities like Badagada, Sundarpada, Rental Colony, Niladri Vihar, Khandagiri, and Jharapada. Around 70 per cent of goats being sold in Bhubaneswar markets have been brought from West Bengal’s Narakhuldanga, Malda, and Kshetripur areas, while the remaining 30 per cent have come from Odisha’s Balangir, Nayagarh, Daspalla, Kakatpur, and Nimapada regions.

The chicken supply mainly comes from Pipili and Andhra Pradesh, while country chickens arrive from Baripada. However, despite the popularity of mutton and chicken, traders said fish remains the top choice for Odias on Chhadakhai.

With several weddings and feasts coinciding with the festival, traders are optimistic about brisk sales through the weekend, making Chhadakhai not just a day of feasting for Odias but also a bonanza for meat and fish sellers across the state.