Staff Reporter ( Kishoreganj) :
Seasonal hide traders have suffered the most due to stability in the leather market. They are facing yet another year of financial loss as the market price of sacrificial animal skins is much lower than what the government get.
The businessmen alleged that a syndicate is behind it, saying that most of the new hides remained unsold at throwaway.
Bangladesh Hide and skin Merchants Association claimed that they had brought hides at the government fixed price.
Later, the government has fixed the prices of rawhides of sacrificial animals for Eid-ul-Azha by increasing Tk 7 per square foot than that of the previous year. This year,the price of salted rawhide of cow was fixed at Tk 47 to 52 per square foot in Dhaka City while it will be sold at Tk 40 to 44 per square foot outside Dhaka.
Retail rawhide traders in 13 upazilas of Kishoreganj are incurring losses as they are counting more money for buying salt due to its ongoing scarcity after the holy Eid-ul-Azha festival.
Businessmen in Kishoreganj Sadar, Bhirab, Bajitpur, Kuliarchar, Katiadi and Karimganj expressed their frustration over the current salt crisis.
They alleged, the situation has turned volatile as tanners have manipulated rawhide prices. After buying and processing rawhides at an increased cost, they have been compelled to sell the rawhides in the market at a low rate. They purchased rawhide at Tk 400 to 450 per piece.
Seasonal rawhide trader Sundur Ali of Harua in Kishoreganj town said he has purchased 50 pieces of cowhide at an average rate of Tk 500 each. He was unable sold those at above Tk 400. That was a big loss for him. This year
Wholesaler Belal Miah said he has purchased 500 cowhides. When he took those to the market he found the traders purchasing the rawhide at Tk 350 per piece which is lower than his buying prices. Aminul Islam,a wholesaler of Bhairab Bazar said, the leather traders’ association could not fix the prices of rawhide this year as its prices in international markets have fallen sharply.
“Dishonest traders may smuggle rawhide into our neighbouring country if the government does not take necessary steps immediately,” he also feared.
Seasonal rawhide traders also suffered sale trickery in warehouses. Wholesale traders are identifying defects in the supplied hides, and are offering poor prices, it was alleged. This year, 90,000 animals including cow and goat were sacrificed in Kishoreganj.
President of Leather Trader Association in Kishoreganj Mujibur Rahman Halud Chairman said the rawhide preservation cost has increased; many have closed their businesses.
DNCRP in Kishoreganj Assistant Director (AD) Rahdhay Ronjon Bonik and CAB District President Alam Sarowar Tito were visited the main rawhide market in Kishoreganj town on Thursday noon.
