Rawhide being sold at low price than govt fixed rates

Despite unfavourable weather and high salt prices, prices of sacrificial rawhide rose marginally. However, the constant monsoon rain since Eid-ul-Azha day has created concerns about damaging the rawhide. Tanners have set a target of collecting about 10 million pieces of rawhide from sacrificial animals after Eid. Within the first two days, only half a million pieces of rawhide have been collected so far. Another 9 to 9.5 million salted rawhides will be collected from all over the country. Every year traders count losses due to the damages, but if it crosses the 10% mark, it will be a heavy blow for the traders.

Seasonal and permanent traders reported that raw leather prices have risen somewhat this year compared to last year. Seasonal vendors are able to ask for higher rates ranging from Tk50 to Tk150 per skin. However, seasonal dealers argue that, while the price of leather has increased marginally, it is still significantly cheaper than the government prices. The government fixes the price of salted rawhide every year, but the price of unsalted rawhide is regulated by negotiations with seasonal and permanent traders. In different parts of the capital, hides of large cows were being sold at Tk 900-Tk 1,200 per piece and medium-sized cow rawhides at Tk 700-750 per piece. Goat hides were being sold at Tk 50 to Tk 60 per piece. Meanwhile, the prices of cured goat rawhides have been fixed at Tk 12-20 per square foot in the capital and other parts of the country. In Bangladesh, Eid-ul-Azha accounts for half of the rawhides that tanners collect throughout the year.

In the July-May period of the current fiscal year, Bangladesh exported leather and leather goods worth $1.12 billion, registering a year-on-year growth of 0.42 per cent. The performance of the second-largest foreign currency earner for Bangladesh after garments has remained positive despite the cost-of-living crisis in Western nations.