FIXATION of minimum price of hide of sacrificial animals is causing some tension as the tanners are seeking the government support to keep it at the low, even lower than last year. News reports said that the Commerce Ministry would make the announcement in this regard on Wednesday and it quoted a senior official of the Ministry as saying Bangladesh Tanners Association would fix the prices as the government has no part in it. But such move will put the owners of animals at loss, because lower price will benefit the tanners at the cost of religious and charitable organizations, which receive the fund at the end. It appears that the government is supportive to the industry and since there is no way of bargain by social interest groups as tanners are at monopoly, social organizations will ultimately suffer from the loss.
Meanwhile, the handling of hide and skin of animals and their waste in the capital during the Eid-ul-Azha has emerged as the most challenging job when roughly over 60 to 65 lakhs cattle are slaughtered throughout the country. On this occasion not only the price of hide and its financing at low interest by banks are potential issues; protecting it from smuggling across the border is yet another sensitive issue. Restriction on the movement of hide towards border for several weeks after the Eid festival may be an effective step that law enforcers also imposed in the past years. We know that they are aware of the sensitivities and they would take steps accordingly. BGB must be on high alert at borders while police and RAB should patrol the highways. This is very important because smugglers’ syndicates at borders remain very active on this occasion to collect as many hides as possible from here for Indian tanners. Indian merchants put money to their local agents for the purpose. So high vigilance must be at work at the borders. City Corporations should also mobilize volunteers quickly to remove waste from city streets and open place.
Preserving hides locally is also more important in the backdrop of a shortage of around 10 to 12 lakhs sacrificial animals this year for Indian government’s ban on export of cattle to Bangladesh. Although the restrictions were partly relaxed recently, the market remained in short supply when import of cattle from Myanmar partly saved the situation. It is also noticeable that local farmers have fattened more cattle this year in the light of the Indian ban on export of cattle and the shortage seems to have been largely overcome.
Bangladesh has a pretty good tannery industry which exported leather and leather goods of over US$1.13 billion to global market last year. It also suggests the need for more concerted efforts, besides preventing smuggling; in collecting the hide for local leather industry with utmost care to preserve the quality of the hide by minimizing the cuts and such other damages. Hide of black goats from the Southwest region of Bangladesh has special appreciation to global buyers and it must be processed accordingly keeping the global sensitivities in mind.
