Low prices of rawhide disappoint traders

Raw hides and skins of sacrificial animals were sold at throwaway prices at all places in Chandpur district this year on Eid day and the day after. They were sold at much less than the prices fixed by the government. As a result, the rawhide and skin traders are very worried whether they would be able to earn decent profits by selling hides and skins.

Again, because of the low prices of rawhides and skins, distressed and indigent persons, beggars, and homeless people are also sad and annoyed with the government. They had been expecting good amounts of money as alms following the sales of rawhide and skins, as the rules of their religion mandate the rich to give alms on the occasion of the religious festival. However, as many a beggar complained, all of them were deprived of even Tk. 100 per head on the occasion of the Eid.

The low prices of rawhide and skins of the sacrificial animals have also worried the seasonal leather traders of Chandpur and the other nearby seven upazilas. They believe they are most likely to incur losses when their rawhides and skins are sold to the middlemen in Chandpur, said sources.

The government has fixed Tk. 25 per foot of rawhide and Tk. 40 per foot for pucca hides.

Last year, the prices of the skins of full-sized bulls and cows were Tk. 1,300 or Tk. 1,400 or Tk. 1,500 per piece.

A resident of Bagadi area of Chandpur, Sadar Shah Alam Khan, complained that his cow was bought for Tk. 1 lakh, but he had to sell the rawhide for Tk. 500. As he explained, the price of his cow’s skin was Tk. 800, as per the government’s rates. Nevertheless, he had to sell the raw skin at Tk. 500 because no seasonal leather trader agreed to buy the skin for more than Tk. 500.

Kalu Dewan, Iqbal, Dider Hossain, Mantu Mia, Sharif Ashra—residents of Nazir Para and Ward No. 12 of the municipality, his co-sharers—all separately confirmed the above report.

Others, too, told this correspondent that the low prices of rawhide have disappointed the skin traders and local beggars.

Statistics with the District Livestock Office show that there were some 1,10,000 sacrificial cows, bulls and goats in the eight upazilas of the district this year. Among them, over 70,000 were cows, bulls and oxen. The rest were goats. These were all supposed to be sold and sacrificed on the occasion of the Eid.

On the eve of the Eid, an acute shortage of sacrificial animals was observed in all cattle markets here and there in the district. The prices of the sacrificial home-grown and Indian animals were much higher than expected. Finding no alternative, many middle-class and rich people shared their ‘qurbani’ with six co-sharers each.

Again, the number of home-grown cows and bulls was lower than in previous years, said many people and leather traders in Chandpur Sadar.

There are around 20 hide and skin traders and 300 seasonal skin traders scattered all over the district.

Seasonal leather traders Kalam and Shaoda Bepari said as the rawhide prices are too low, many seasonal traders have not engaged in this business this year.

The low prices of the skins have shocked the owners of the sacrificed cattle. “It was unprecedented,” chorused all the sharers of the sacrificial animals.

Leather traders Bachchu Sarder, Emdad Hossain Patwary, his son Sajjad Hossain Patwary and Akbar Gazi—all of them long-time hide and skin traders at Paler Bazar and Jashim Bepari of Puran Bazar and Khoka Mia of Mohamaya in Chandpur Sadar—blamed the syndicate of the hide and skin traders in the capital for the “low prices of rawhide” this year.

Emdad Patwary’s son Sajjad Hossain, also a trader, said, “This year they failed to fulfil their target to buy rawhides from people and madrasas. They have bought 3,500 hides, but their target was to buy 5,000 pieces of rawhide.”

Another trader, Bachchu Sarder, said he had bought 600 pieces of rawhide this year from various sources at cheap rates.

However, all the traders apprehend severe losses this year, given the low rates fixed by the government. They doubt they would be able to make sufficient profits by selling “chemically treated hides” to the big merchants in Dhaka this year. The processing of hides entails the use of salts and chemicals, which involves further expenditures.

Veteran leather trader Akbar Gazi, who has been engaged in this business for 30 years, said, “I am a veteran leather trader. I can neither leave this business nor continue with it.” Bachchu Sarder said, “Owing to the low prices of rawhide this year, thousands of beggars and destitute people have been deprived of alms from the owners and co-sharers of sacrificed animals on the afternoon/evening of Eid or the day after the Eid.”

Some madrasa teachers and staffers of Emdadia Madrasa, Roghunathpur Madrasa, Bus Stand Madrasa, Puran Adalatpara Madrasa and Jafrabad Madrasa and some other madrasas and orphanages of Chandpur and other places bought 4,000¬–5,000 hides and skins for Tk. 300 or Tk. 400 after going from door-to-door. Most of them later sold the rawhides to the ‘arots’ (trading concerns) at Paler Bazaar at higher prices, at Tk. 900 or Tk. 1,000 per piece of   standard-sized skins of large bulls or cows, thereby earning some profits for their respective institutions. These leather merchants will sell the chemically treated hides to big merchants at Postagola in Dhaka.

But the authorities of Puran Bazar and Jafrabad Madrasas will sell their hides to a leather enterprise in Dhaka for higher profits.

Many leather traders expressed apprehensions that the rawhides and skins are most likely to be smuggled into India because this year, the prices of rawhide and skins are much higher in India.

Low prices of rawhide disappoint traders

Raw hides and skins of sacrificial animals were sold at throwaway prices at all places in Chandpur district this year on Eid day and the day after. They were sold at much less than the prices fixed by the government. As a result, the rawhide and skin traders are very worried whether they would be able to earn decent profits by selling hides and skins. Again, because of the low prices of rawhides and skins, distressed and indigent persons, beggars, and homeless people are also sad and annoyed with the government. They had been expecting good amounts of money as alms following the sales of rawhide and skins, as the rules of their religion mandate the rich to give alms on the occasion of the religious festival. However, as many a beggar complained, all of them were deprived of even Tk. 100 per head on the occasion of the Eid. The low prices of rawhide and skins of the sacrificial animals have also worried the seasonal leather traders of Chandpur and the other nearby seven upazilas. They believe they are most likely to incur losses when their rawhides and skins are sold to the middlemen in Chandpur, said sources. The government has fixed Tk. 25 per foot of rawhide and Tk. 40 per foot for pucca hides. Last year, the prices of the skins of full-sized bulls and cows were Tk. 1,300 or Tk. 1,400 or Tk. 1,500 per piece. A resident of Bagadi area of Chandpur, Sadar Shah Alam Khan, complained that his cow was bought for Tk. 1 lakh, but he had to sell the rawhide for Tk. 500. As he explained, the price of his cows skin was Tk. 800, as per the governments rates. Nevertheless, he had to sell the raw skin at Tk. 500 because no seasonal leather trader agreed to buy the skin for more than Tk. 500. Kalu Dewan, Iqbal, Dider Hossain, Mantu Mia, Sharif Ashraresidents of Nazir Para and Ward No. 12 of the municipality, his co-sharersall separately confirmed the above report. Others, too, told this correspondent that the low prices of rawhide have disappointed the skin traders and local beggars. Statistics with the District Livestock Office show that there were some 1,10,000 sacrificial cows, bulls and goats in the eight upazilas of the district this year. Among them, over 70,000 were cows, bulls and oxen. The rest were goats. These were all supposed to be sold and sacrificed on the occasion of the Eid. On the eve of the Eid, an acute shortage of sacrificial animals was observed in all cattle markets here and there in the district. The prices of the sacrificial home-grown and Indian animals were much higher than expected. Finding no alternative, many middle-class and rich people shared their qurbani with six co-sharers each. Again, the number of home-grown cows and bulls was lower than in previous years, said many people and leather traders in Chandpur Sadar. There are around 20 hide and skin traders and 300 seasonal skin traders scattered all over the district. Seasonal leather traders Kalam and Shaoda Bepari said as the rawhide prices are too low, many seasonal traders have not engaged in this business this year. The low prices of the skins have shocked the owners of the sacrificed cattle. It was unprecedented, chorused all the sharers of the sacrificial animals. Leather traders Bachchu Sarder, Emdad Hossain Patwary, his son Sajjad Hossain Patwary and Akbar Gaziall of them long-time hide and skin traders at Paler Bazar and Jashim Bepari of Puran Bazar and Khoka Mia of Mohamaya in Chandpur Sadarblamed the syndicate of the hide and skin traders in the capital for the low prices of rawhide this year. Emdad Patwarys son Sajjad Hossain, also a trader, said, This year they failed to fulfil their target to buy rawhides from people and madrasas. They have bought 3,500 hides, but their target was to buy 5,000 pieces of rawhide. Another trader, Bachchu Sarder, said he had bought 600 pieces of rawhide this year from various sources at cheap rates. However, all the traders apprehend severe losses this year, given the low rates fixed by the government. They doubt they would be able to make sufficient profits by selling chemically treated hides to the big merchants in Dhaka this year. The processing of hides entails the use of salts and chemicals, which involves further expenditures. Veteran leather trader Akbar Gazi, who has been engaged in this business for 30 years, said, I am a veteran leather trader. I can neither leave this business nor continue with it. Bachchu Sarder said, Owing to the low prices of rawhide this year, thousands of beggars and destitute people have been deprived of alms from the owners and co-sharers of sacrificed animals on the afternoon/evening of Eid or the day after the Eid. Some madrasa teachers and staffers of Emdadia Madrasa, Roghunathpur Madrasa, Bus Stand Madrasa, Puran Adalatpara Madrasa and Jafrabad Madrasa and some other madrasas and orphanages of Chandpur and other places bought 4,0005,000 hides and skins for Tk. 300 or Tk. 400 after going from door-to-door. Most of them later sold the rawhides to the arots (trading concerns) at Paler Bazaar at higher prices, at Tk. 900 or Tk. 1,000 per piece of standard-sized skins of large bulls or cows, thereby earning some profits for their respective institutions. These leather merchants will sell the chemically treated hides to big merchants at Postagola in Dhaka. But the authorities of Puran Bazar and Jafrabad Madrasas will sell their hides to a leather enterprise in Dhaka for higher profits. Many leather traders expressed apprehensions that the rawhides and skins are most likely to be smuggled into India because this year, the prices of rawhide and skins are much higher in India.