This year’s Eid-ul-Azha brought little cheer for rawhide traders in Bangladesh, who once again struggled to sell cowhides at government-set prices.
Even though the Ministry of Commerce raised the price of cowhide in Dhaka to Tk 60–65 per square foot (US$ 0.49–0.53), most trades happened well below that. In many cases, hides were sold for Tk 55–60 (USD 0.45–0.49), and sometimes even lower.
“We collected cowhides from sacrificers for Tk 750 (USD 6.14), but ended up struggling to recover costs.”
Trader
Even the best quality hides fetched no more than Tk 820 (USD 6.71) in some areas. Traders said it was hard to make any profit after paying for transport and labor.
“There was no demand for rawhide. We couldn’t sell at a fair price. After paying for van rental and two workers, we were left with almost nothing.”
Trader
Many traders bought hides for Tk 500 to Tk 750 (USD 4.10–6.14) from sacrificers. But when selling to tanneries, they were forced to settle for Tk 600 to Tk 900 (USD 4.91–7.36).
In only a few rare cases, some good-quality hides fetched up to Tk 1,200–1,500 (USD 9.82–12.28).
Tannery owners defended the lower rates, saying the government-fixed price is meant for salt-treated hides. Most hides collected during Eid are raw and often not preserved properly, which affects the final price.
Goat-hides were even worse off. Demand was so low that many were thrown away or given for free. In some places, they were sold for just Tk 15–30 (USD 0.12–0.25).
Source – Daily Star
