CHATTOGRAM May 22: The traders of the port city Chattogram have aimed to procure around 4,50,000 rawhides from sacrificial animals during the ensuing Eid-ul-Adha season. But the local district livestock department has confirmed that nearly nine lakh sacrificial animals are ready in Chattogram.
The government department claimed that nearly nine lakh animals are sacrificed in Chattogram. But the traders could not procure more than five lakh rawhide of the sacrificial animals.
Chattogram Rawhide Traders' Association sources said that around 3,61,000 hides of sacrificial animals were collected during last year's Eid-ul-Azha, with over 2,50,000 of them being cowhides.
After collecting rawhides from local areas, these traders sell them to wholesalers who have large storage facilities. These wholesalers then sell the salt-applied hides to tanneries.
Besides, the number of seasonal traders in Chattogram has decreased due to various reasons, including delays in receiving payments from tannery owners.
According to Traders Association, around 250 people used to collect hides previously, but this number has now declined to 30.
The Chattogram Rawhide Traders' Association sources said that the Commerce Ministry yet to fix the prices of rawhide.
The prices of the salt-applied cow rawhides last year were at Tk45-48 per square foot while goat hides were Tk20-25 per square foot.
Abdul Jalil, Convenor of the Chattogram Rawhide Traders' Association Association said, "We usually purchase cowhide at Tk 30-35 per square foot from the people."
He also said that they are bound to sell it to the tannery owners, almost all the owners belong to the capital city Dhaka. But they did not pay the due in time.
"Tannery owners deduct 20 per cent of the hides during purchases. Additionally, not all hides are sold in Chattogram, necessitating shipment to Dhaka, which increases transportation costs and additional handling expenses," he said.
