Low price of rawhides frustrates all

An unprecedented low price of rawhides of the just-sacrificed cattle has frustrated qurbani-givers, co-sharers, seasonal leather traders, and even beggars.

 This year, the rawhides and skins of the sacrificial animals were sold at very low prices everywhere  in the district  on Eid day and the day after.

 No hide buyers were seen till 8 pm on Eid day, said many who had sacrificed animals, adding that, eventually, they sent the hides to the local orphanages and madrasas as gifts.

 This happened in a number of cases, said a several people. Though a few madrasa teachers and students came door to door to buy raw hides, they were not many in number. They paid Tk 500 for a big hide of a cow costing Tk1.14 lakh.

The hides were sold at prices much lower than the price fixed by the government. That’s why, the  raw hide and skin traders   did not come this year to buy hides at houses and homes, a veteran seasonal leather trader told this correspondent.

 Owing to the low price of rawhides and skins, the destitute, beggars, rootless, and homeless people did not get the same measure of alms, leaving them disheartened and annoyed with the government.

 Low price of rawhide and skin of the sacrificial animals has also left seasonal leather traders of Chandpur and other seven Upazilas worried. They fear, they will incur losses at the time of selling their rawhides and skins to middlemen in Chandpur, say sources.

 This year, the government fixed Tk 35-40 per sq ft as the price of rawhide outside the capital.

A random survey shows that the hides of bulls costing between Tk 65,000 and Tk 1,40,000 were sold at a uniform price of Tk 500 on the Eid day afternoon in different parts of Chandpur.

 When contacted, co- sharers of sacrifical animals Haji Serajul Islam, Alhaj Md Dider Hossain, Billal Hossain Khan, Mofizul Islam, Md Hanif Haji, Nannu Mia, all of them residents of Nazir Para, confirmed the low price.

 Same views and disappointment were echoed by political leader Seraj Patwary in Chotura area in Faridganj town and several other people, including teachers and social workers.

 Statistics of the District Livestock office show that, this year, there were about 1.7 lakh heads of cattle 1.3 lakh goats for sacrifice in the seven municipalities and eight Upazilas of the district. Their skins were supposed to be sold soon after being sacrificed on the day of Eid.

 On the eve of the Eid day, due to an abundant supply of cattle in the markets, the prices of sacrificial animals were remarkably low. This was true of Safarmali Bazar, Shornokhola Bazar, Bagadi Chowrasta Bazar, Ananda Bazar, Gazir Bazar, Baburhat Bazar, Bakila Bazar, Eacholy Bazar, Chandra Chowrasta Bazar, Puran Bazar and all other scattered cattle markets set up by poor and marginal farmers beside the roads and in open spaces in the district on the eve of Eid.

 So, many people jointly bought their sacrificial animals at the last moments at a very cheap rate for Tk 70 or 80 thousand instead of Tk 90-95 thousand, the price that prevailed a few days before.

 Many Muslim devotees could even afford to singly buy medium-size sacrificial animals for Tk40–45 thousand that were sold for Tk 60–70 thousand on the previous days.

 The low price of animals frustrated the cattle traders. Many despairing and worried cattle traders were seen returning home broken-hearted and in a state of shocks, having incurred a huge loss.

 Alauddin Khandaker, 45, of Bishnudi village of Chandpur Sadar, said he had to return home with his three unsold medium-size bulls as their price was, too, low in the cattle market on the eve of Eid. Many of his neighbours, too, returned home with their unsold animals. Goat-sellers also faced a similar crisis.

 On Eid day and the day after, almost no seasonal leather traders were seen to approach families that sacrificed animals to buy rawhides and skins, although there were many in previous years.

 Seasonal leather traders Anwar Hossain Anu, Shahjahan, and Shaoda Bepari told this correspondent that many had abandoned their leather business this year because of the “very low” price this year.

 Shaoda Bepari said he had bought 116 pieces of raw hides on Eid day afternoon and then sold them at a flat rate to a middleman, incurring a loss of a few thousand takas.

 Some madrasa orphans along with their teachers in Chandpur district approached families, offering to buy hides at Tk 200–500 per piece.

 The orphans sold them for Tk 700–780 per piece to leather traders, who will, eventually, sell them to big leather merchants in Dhaka.

 The price of goat skin was almost “valueless”. Some buyers, on persistent requests, paid Tk 30–40 per piece for the hide of large goats.

 When contacted, veteran leather traders Bachchu Sarder said he had bought 2,500 pieces of hides, Sajjad Hossain Patwary said he had bought over 6,000 pieces, and Akbar Gazi bought about 3,000 pieces of skin this year. All of them are long-time hide and skin traders at Paler Bazar, a famous commercial hub in the district.

 Khoka Mia of Mohamaya, in Chandpur Sadar, has bought about 5,000 pieces of skin. They, however, blamed a top-level syndicate of hide and skin traders in the capital for the “too low price of raw hides” this year.   

 The leather traders doubt if they will be able to earn their desired profit by selling “chemically finished hides” to the big merchants in Dhaka this year because the processing of hides involves costly salts and chemicals.

 There are about 20 hide and skin traders and 300 seasonal skin traders in the district.

 Many leather traders apprehend that the raw hide and skins are most likely to be smuggled into India because, this year, the price of rawhides and skins are said to be much higher there.

 Our Noakhali correspondent adds: Rawhide traders of Noakhali Feni and Laximpur are unhappy because of the low profits in the tannery business this year.

 They allege middlemen are controlling the local markets, while the price fixed by the government has affected the rural areas.

 According to the Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB) sources, from the 5th August to till date, the BGB Feni unit tightened security at 43 border points including Fulgazi, Chhagalaniya, Porshuram, Dormopur in Feni to prevent raw hide smuggling.

 BGB Feni-4 acting director Col Md. Shahidur Rahman told The Independent, “We have security to prevent any kind of skin smuggling and it will continue till Monday.”

He said in Feni there was a 103 km border with India, where 17 border check-posts were on 24-hour patrol.

 But, source said, smuggling of rawhide to India was continuing.  Local businessman said, this year, they had collected nearly one lakh pieces of hides from Grater Noakhali in the last few days.

 A source said, Bangladesh Tanners’ Association fixed Tk 20 to 30 per sq ft for cattle rawhide anTk 15 per sq ft for goat hide at the district level.

 

Low price of rawhides frustrates all

An unprecedented low price of rawhides of the just-sacrificed cattle has frustrated qurbani-givers, co-sharers, seasonal leather traders, and even beggars. This year, the rawhides and skins of the sacrificial animals were sold at very low prices everywhere in the district on Eid day and the day after. No hide buyers were seen till 8 pm on Eid day, said many who had sacrificed animals, adding that, eventually, they sent the hides to the local orphanages and madrasas as gifts. This happened in a number of cases, said a several people. Though a few madrasa teachers and students came door to door to buy raw hides, they were not many in number. They paid Tk 500 for a big hide of a cow costing Tk1.14 lakh. The hides were sold at prices much lower than the price fixed by the government. Thats why, the raw hide and skin traders did not come this year to buy hides at houses and homes, a veteran seasonal leather trader told this correspondent. Owing to the low price of rawhides and skins, the destitute, beggars, rootless, and homeless people did not get the same measure of alms, leaving them disheartened and annoyed with the government. Low price of rawhide and skin of the sacrificial animals has also left seasonal leather traders of Chandpur and other seven Upazilas worried. They fear, they will incur losses at the time of selling their rawhides and skins to middlemen in Chandpur, say sources. This year, the government fixed Tk 35-40 per sq ft as the price of rawhide outside the capital. A random survey shows that the hides of bulls costing between Tk 65,000 and Tk 1,40,000 were sold at a uniform price of Tk 500 on the Eid day afternoon in different parts of Chandpur. When contacted, co- sharers of sacrifical animals Haji Serajul Islam, Alhaj Md Dider Hossain, Billal Hossain Khan, Mofizul Islam, Md Hanif Haji, Nannu Mia, all of them residents of Nazir Para, confirmed the low price. Same views and disappointment were echoed by political leader Seraj Patwary in Chotura area in Faridganj town and several other people, including teachers and social workers. Statistics of the District Livestock office show that, this year, there were about 1.7 lakh heads of cattle 1.3 lakh goats for sacrifice in the seven municipalities and eight Upazilas of the district. Their skins were supposed to be sold soon after being sacrificed on the day of Eid. On the eve of the Eid day, due to an abundant supply of cattle in the markets, the prices of sacrificial animals were remarkably low. This was true of Safarmali Bazar, Shornokhola Bazar, Bagadi Chowrasta Bazar, Ananda Bazar, Gazir Bazar, Baburhat Bazar, Bakila Bazar, Eacholy Bazar, Chandra Chowrasta Bazar, Puran Bazar and all other scattered cattle markets set up by poor and marginal farmers beside the roads and in open spaces in the district on the eve of Eid. So, many people jointly bought their sacrificial animals at the last moments at a very cheap rate for Tk 70 or 80 thousand instead of Tk 90-95 thousand, the price that prevailed a few days before. Many Muslim devotees could even afford to singly buy medium-size sacrificial animals for Tk4045 thousand that were sold for Tk 6070 thousand on the previous days. The low price of animals frustrated the cattle traders. Many despairing and worried cattle traders were seen returning home broken-hearted and in a state of shocks, having incurred a huge loss. Alauddin Khandaker, 45, of Bishnudi village of Chandpur Sadar, said he had to return home with his three unsold medium-size bulls as their price was, too, low in the cattle market on the eve of Eid. Many of his neighbours, too, returned home with their unsold animals. Goat-sellers also faced a similar crisis. On Eid day and the day after, almost no seasonal leather traders were seen to approach families that sacrificed animals to buy rawhides and skins, although there were many in previous years. Seasonal leather traders Anwar Hossain Anu, Shahjahan, and Shaoda Bepari told this correspondent that many had abandoned their leather business this year because of the very low price this year. Shaoda Bepari said he had bought 116 pieces of raw hides on Eid day afternoon and then sold them at a flat rate to a middleman, incurring a loss of a few thousand takas. Some madrasa orphans along with their teachers in Chandpur district approached families, offering to buy hides at Tk 200500 per piece. The orphans sold them for Tk 700780 per piece to leather traders, who will, eventually, sell them to big leather merchants in Dhaka. The price of goat skin was almost valueless. Some buyers, on persistent requests, paid Tk 3040 per piece for the hide of large goats. When contacted, veteran leather traders Bachchu Sarder said he had bought 2,500 pieces of hides, Sajjad Hossain Patwary said he had bought over 6,000 pieces, and Akbar Gazi bought about 3,000 pieces of skin this year. All of them are long-time hide and skin traders at Paler Bazar, a famous commercial hub in the district. Khoka Mia of Mohamaya, in Chandpur Sadar, has bought about 5,000 pieces of skin. They, however, blamed a top-level syndicate of hide and skin traders in the capital for the too low price of raw hides this year. The leather traders doubt if they will be able to earn their desired profit by selling chemically finished hides to the big merchants in Dhaka this year because the processing of hides involves costly salts and chemicals. There are about 20 hide and skin traders and 300 seasonal skin traders in the district. Many leather traders apprehend that the raw hide and skins are most likely to be smuggled into India because, this year, the price of rawhides and skins are said to be much higher there. Our Noakhali correspondent adds: Rawhide traders of Noakhali Feni and Laximpur are unhappy because of the low profits in the tannery business this year. They allege middlemen are controlling the local markets, while the price fixed by the government has affected the rural areas. According to the Bangladesh Border Guards (BGB) sources, from the 5th August to till date, the BGB Feni unit tightened security at 43 border points including Fulgazi, Chhagalaniya, Porshuram, Dormopur in Feni to prevent raw hide smuggling. BGB Feni-4 acting director Col Md. Shahidur Rahman told The Independent, We have security to prevent any kind of skin smuggling and it will continue till Monday. He said in Feni there was a 103 km border with India, where 17 border check-posts were on 24-hour patrol. But, source said, smuggling of rawhide to India was continuing. Local businessman said, this year, they had collected nearly one lakh pieces of hides from Grater Noakhali in the last few days. A source said, Bangladesh Tanners Association fixed Tk 20 to 30 per sq ft for cattle rawhide anTk 15 per sq ft for goat hide at the district level.