Why Kerala prefers mathi (sardines) from Karnataka, Maharashtra

Chavakkad (Thrissur): The Kerala market is witnessing a significant influx of sardines (mathi) from Karnataka and Maharashtra, over the local ones from the state. The main reason cited is the smaller size and lack of sardines from Kerala's coast.

Despite being sourced from the Arabian Sea and tastes like Kerala’s own sardines, sales are also at their peak. For over a week, hundreds of trucks carrying sardines have been arriving daily in Kerala from Karnataka and Maharashtra.

While the average length of sardines from Kerala is around 14 cm, those brought from the neighbouring states measure up to 20 cm. The notable one is the arrival of large ‘Urulan Neymathi’ from Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, where they are seen plenty in markets.

According to Pavithran Kallumadathil, an office-bearer of the Chettuva Harbour Fishermens’ Association, Kerala's sardines remain smaller in size and less abundant. This has led to a sharp fall in the price of local sardines. Previously, a 25-kilogram box was priced over ₹2,000. Now, it sells for only ₹1,000 to ₹1,200. Even small-scale vendors are forced to sell local sardines at prices below ₹100 per kilogram.

In contrast, the sardines, which are bigger in size from Karnataka and Maharashtra, are priced between ₹150 and ₹200 per kilogram. According to Baiju Thekkan, a wholesale fish distributor at Blangad Beach in Chavakkad, a 25-kilogram box of these premium fish can sell for anywhere between ₹3,000 and ₹3,500 in the wholesale market. He attributes the higher prices to the superior quality of these sardines, which rival the taste and appeal of Kerala’s native varieties.

Previously, large sardines were also imported from Oman and Tamil Nadu, but such supplies have now dwindled. For the past seven months, sardines along Kerala’s coast have remained more or less the same in size and availability. The Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute (CMFRI) in Kochi has initiated a study to analyse this trend.