Rawhide traders’ woes continue

Rawhide prices in Dhaka rose slightly on the second day of Eid-ul-Azha, still well below government-set prices, while traders outside the capital were forced to dump unsold hides due to low prices.

Large and medium-sized cowhides’ prices in the capital increased by at least Tk 100 from Eid day, although prices of goatskins and smaller cowhides remained unchanged. Traders attributed the rise to reduced supply as well as larger and better-quality hides.

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Visits to Dhanmondi, Science Laboratory, Lalbagh, and Posta yesterday showed medium-sized cowhides selling for Tk 550 to Tk 750 each, while large hides fetched Tk 800 to Tk 1,200. On Eid day, medium-sized hides sold for Tk 500 to Tk 650, and large hides for Tk 700 to Tk 800.

At the Dhakeshwari Temple area, buyers purchased cowhides for Tk 700 to Tk 1,000 depending on size.

In Posta, traders said reduced supply pushed prices slightly higher, with hides selling for Tk 900 to Tk 1,200 depending on quality and size.

According to government-set prices, a small salted hide (16-20 square feet) should fetch Tk 990-1,200, a medium-sized cowhide (21-30 square feet) Tk 1,300-1,850, and a large cowhide (31-40 square feet) Tk 1,900-2,600.

The morning after Eid-ul-Azha presented an unpleasant scene in Chattogram’s Muradpur and Aturar Depot areas, where hundreds of rawhides lay dumped along roadsides and beside drains.

The rotting hides emitted a foul smell, with residents saying traders abandoned them overnight after failing to secure expected prices.

Seasonal trader Enamul Haque from Hathazari said he collected around 230 cowhides at an average cost of Tk 300 each, but warehouse owners offered only Tk 50 to Tk 100 per hide.

“At that price, I could not even recover transport costs,” he said, adding that he was eventually forced to dump the hides.

Another trader, Mohammad Rahim Mia, said he bought hides at around Tk 350 each but managed to sell only 255 hides at Tk 100 apiece on the night of Eid (May 28). He said he could not sell the remaining hides even by Friday morning.

Md Muslim Uddin, president of the Chattogram Greater Rawhide Merchants’ Cooperative Society, said warehouse owners bought good hides for Tk 400 to Tk 500, but damaged hides found no buyers, forcing seasonal traders to abandon mostly low-quality hides.

In Khulna, large cowhides sold for Tk 400 to Tk 450, while smaller hides fetched Tk 200 to Tk 300 -- 5 to 10 percent lower than last year, according to traders.

Abdus Salam Dhali, president of the Khulna District Rawhide Traders’ Association, said exporters offered better prices only for export-quality hides.

“Buying lower-quality hides at higher prices would lead to losses,” he said, adding that a lack of preservation facilities was also troubling traders.

In Barishal, rawhide prices caused frustration among madrasa representatives and small traders.

Mirajul Islam, who brought hides from a madrasa to a wholesale market, said large cowhides that sold for Tk 600 to Tk 700 last year were now fetching only Tk 400 to Tk 450.

In Netrokona, Mohammad Mazharul Islam, an assistant teacher at Jamia Miftahul Ulum Madrasa, said teachers and students collected more than 400 cowhides and over 100 goatskins on Eid day, but could not find any reliable wholesaler or major buyer even late at night.

Shaheen Ahamed, chairman of the Bangladesh Tanners Association, said large-scale procurement had yet to begin, as most buyers were waiting for the hides to be salted before purchasing them. He said prices were not particularly low earlier in the night, but the situation changed after midnight as many hides remained unsalted, which affected pricing and slowed trade activity.

Tannery owners aim to collect 7.5 million to 8 million sacrificial animal hides this year, with around 80 percent expected to be purchased directly in Dhaka. Last year, they directly bought around 750,000 to 800,000 hides in the capital.

[Our Netrokona correspondent contributed to this report]