Govt hikes rawhide price by 6pc

Staff Reporter :
The government on Sunday warned that if the traders try to manipulate rawhide prices during the upcoming Eid than then the concerned authorities will allow export of the rawhide (salted).
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi came up with the warning while presiding over a meeting to fix the sacrificial animal’s rawhide price on the occasion of Eid-ul-Azha at the secretariat.
The government has fixed the price of salted rawhide of sacrificial cows at Tk50 to Tk55 per square feet in Dhaka and Tk45 to Tk48 per sqft outside Dhaka for this year.
Last year, the price of salted rawhide was Tk47 to Tk52 per square feet in Dhaka and Tk40 to Tk44 outside Dhaka.

For this year, the price of salted goat hide has been fixed at Tk18 to Tk20 and salted lamb skin at Tk12 to Tk14 per square feet. This price was the same last year as well.
The Commerce Minister said discussions were held with businessmen on how to preserve rawhide during the upcoing Eid al-Azha, slated for June 29.
Salt should be added within 7/8 hours of removing the hide so that it does not spoil. This year the weather is hotter, so salt should be applied earlier, he said.

Tipu Munshi said, “leather is in a good position in terms of exports. The government aims to earn more than $1 billion in export earnings from leather, which is need to keep them properly.”
The Local Government Division, the Ministry of Home Affairs and the Ministry of Commerce are jointly working to ensure that leather is preserved properly.
The minister said the production of salt in the country has increased this yea, but some unscrupulous businessmen are trying to make extra profit by stockpiling salt.
The businessmen who are trying to take advantage of the situation will be punished, he added.

The minister said for seven days the skin of the sacrificial animal will not be allowed to enter or leave the city of Dhaka.
In response to a query, Tipu Munshi said the deputy commissioners, divisional commissioners and the police administration will monitor whether leather is being sold at the fixed price or not.
Representatives of various organisations of the leather sector including, Bangladesh Tanners Association and Raw Hide Traders Owners Association attended the meeting.