Rangpur Division: Rawhide selling at dirt cheap prices

Biplob Mia of Nilphamari's New Babupara area on Eid day went to Boro Bazar, the rawhide market in the district town, to sell the skin of the goat he sacrificed. But the offered price stunned him. 

"I was offered only Tk 5 for the skin," he said.

"I'm supposed to get Tk 240, according to the government's fixed rate," Biplob said, who later left the market, leaving the skin there. "Ultimately, I will not suffer due to the low rate; it'll be the social welfare organisations, madrasas and orphanages that would be deprived of their rights."

As is custom, the amount raised by selling the rawhide of sacrificial cattle during Eid-ul-Azha is distributed among the poor.

Similar stories are abundant amid this year's festivities.

Rawhide traders at the district markets are offering Tk 5 to 15 for goatskin. In contrast, cow and buffalo skin are being offered Tk 100 to 600 apiece, depending on quality.

The situation is also grim in rural areas.

In rural areas, cow skin is being offered Tk 100 to 200. Most traders in villages are refusing to buy goat skin.

Motiar Rahman of Dinajpur town took two cowhides to Dinajpur's Ramnagar hide market to sell them. The trader only offered him Tk 600 for the two hides.

"I demanded Tk 1,000, but finally settled for Tk 600," he said.

Julfikar Ali, president of Rawhide Traders Association in Dinajpur, said around 1,00,000 animals were sacrificed in Dinajpur this Eid. Of them, hides of 30,000 cows already arrived at the hide market in Dinajpur.

He claimed that good-quality cowhides were purchased under the government-fixed rate. "We are expecting more cowhides."

All hide traders together bought 50,000 cowhides last year. Shortage of liquidity is an obstacle in the business this year, as the traders are yet to get their outstanding payment from tannery owners. Besides, there is no support from local banks, he said.

The hide market was also still in a downturn in Rangpur.

Rangpur city's Hajipara rawhide market used to be vibrant on Eid afternoons, but this year, there was little to no activity. Most warehouses of the traders remained closed. Only a few traders were seen purchasing rawhides.

Cowhides were being sold for Tk 200 to 600 apiece, depending on quality, while goat and sheep skins were offered Tk 5 to 15 apiece.

"The price was unexpectedly low," said Humayun Kabir, who sold the skin of his sacrificed cow for Tk 600. Most cowhides were being offered Tk 300, according to him.

Abdul Latif Khan, president of Rawhide Traders Association in Rangpur, blamed tannery owners' syndicate for such a bad market condition. The situation will not improve until the government decentralises the tanning industry by setting up tanneries in other divisional cities.

Most hide traders are not willing to stay in the business, he said, which brings down the rate of hides. "Most traders are not willing to buy the hides."

Around 20,000 cowhides were brought to the market as of Friday noon, he said. He demanded the government set up a tannery field in Rangpur to salvage the market.

The situation also remained the same in other districts, including Thakurgaon, Panchagarh and Joypurhat.

According to Department of Livestock officials of Rangpur division, around 10 lakh animals were sacrificed this Eid-ul-Azha in the eight districts of the division.