Home ›› 16 Jul 2022 ›› Nation
Seasonal traders in Mymensingh are frustrated over the low prices of goat and cowhide this year.
The seasonal traders who bought and sold the hides of animals sacrificed during Eid-ul-Azha have suffered losses for the past few years as prices of animal skin keep dropping in the market.
According to the traders, even a decade ago the selling of rawhides was a profitable seasonal business for many but nowadays many of them have turned away from the trade after counting losses.
The government has fixed the price of salted cowhide outside Dhaka to keep the leather market afloat. This year, the price is set at Tk 40-44 per square foot, whilst last year it was Tk 33-37 and in 2020 Tk 28-32 per square foot.
Besides, the price of salted goat hide has been fixed at Tk 18-20 across the country. Last year this price was Tk 15-17 and in 2020 it was Tk 13-15.
Observing the market situation over the last five days, this correspondent found that many traders were forced to dump the goat hides along the roadside due to a lack of buyers. Buyers for cowhide were available, but the prices were less than what the traders had expected.
On July 12, traders from different parts of the Mymansingh district gathered at the largest rawhide market in Shambhuganj area. The seasonal hide traders were selling salted cowhides for Tk 400-500 per piece. Due to the salting process and transportation cost, the traders could not make any profit.
Seasonal trader Rafiqul of Shambhuganj told this correspondent that the hide market did not sit for the previous two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. He bought 100 cowhides and with the initial cost, salting process and transportation, he spent about Tk 400-450 per hide.
“If I cannot sell the hides for Tk 500, I will face losses this year. We do not get desired prices because a syndicate of tannery owners controls the market,” he alleged.
Another seasonal trader, Bachchu Mia, said he bought raw hides aiming to sell those with the government-fixed prices as each hide cost him around Tk 40-50 including the salting and transportation cost.
“The tannery owners are refusing to buy goat skin saying that hides shorter than 5 feet cannot be used. They said that leather prices are low in the international market and offer only Tk 2 per hide,” the trader said.
Bacchu added that he threw away the hides in the market out of frustration.
Many seasonal traders like Bachchu Mia have left their products in the middle of the market after not getting desired prices. Many donated the hides to madrasa and orphanages.
Trader Md Khasru Mia said salt was Tk 1,050 per maund before the Eid, but it went up to Tk 1,300 right afterwards. He bought about 2,000 hides this year and each hide requires 10-12 kg of rock salt.
“There are other costs including hired workers payment and transportation. Overall, the business is not going well this year,” he said.
Mohabbat Sarkar, a resident of the area, said he bought a cow for Tk 88,000 to sacrifice during this Eid. “The seasonal traders offered only Tk220 for the hide, so I donated it to the local madrasa,” he said.
According to the Department of Livestock Services Mymensingh, the target for animals being sacrificed in the district was 170,000 which are 40,000 more than the last year. The target inside the city corporation was 35,000.
District Livestock Officer Dr Mohammad Wahedul Alam said, “The deputy commissioner has held a meeting with the concerned people to ensure that the hides of these sacrificial animals are properly preserved and that the common people get a fair price. We are also monitoring the market to ensure the price.”
Yusuf Ali, chief executive officer of Mymensingh City Corporation, said, “We have talked to traders for ensuring fair prices of hides.”
