Unsold stockpiles plague Ctg rawhides traders

Chattogram Bureau :

Even a month after Eid-ul-Adha, Chattogram’s rawhide traders are struggling with the burden of almost three lakh unsold hides, facing offers significantly below the government-set price. They collected 3,60,905 skins of sacrificial animals from across the district, expecting to sell them for Tk50 to Tk55 per square foot as set for areas outside Dhaka. However, tanneries are currently offering them only T k37 to Tk 40 per sqft. Besides, rawhides collected during Eid-ul-Adha typically require two months to sell, and with only 80,000 pieces (22 per cent) sold thus far, traders fear potential losses amid rising costs for salting, wages, and storage.Muslim Uddin, president of the Chattogram Rawhide Traders’ Association, told The New Nation that tannery owners are not meeting their expectations.
A trader in the port city explained that each cow’s hide averages 20-22 sqft, purchased for around Tk 400. Adding the costs of salting, wages, and storage-amounting to Tk 450-Tk 500-it becomes unsustainable to sell them at Tk 900-Tk 1, 000 to tanners.
Abul Kalam Azad, the association’s general secretary, said Chattogram once had numerous tanneries, but now only one remains. “This has left merchants reliant on Dhaka’s tanneries, which are offering lower prices for leather as a consequence,” he added.
According to the Chattogram Rawhide Wholesalers Cooperatives, there were once 112 registered wholesale rawhide traders under the association. Additionally, 70 to 80 wholesalers traditionally purchased rawhides. However, currently, only 25-30 traders remain operational.