Hide price hits 31-year record low

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Golam Mowla
Published : 07:30, Aug 13, 2019 | Updated : 07:30, Aug 13, 2019

A survey around Dhaka city has shown that people from the city’s madrasas, orphanages are collecting skin of sacrificed animals free of cost. Outside the capital, best quality raw hide is being sold at Tk. 600 with medium quality ones selling between Tk 300 and Tk 500.
The price of medium level hide sold for Tk 700-800 last year.
This year, as per government fixed rates, 20 to 25 square feet of cowhide is supposed to sell for Tk 900 to Tk 1750 after salting.
Some seasonal traders are buying hide at Tk 300 -Tk 500. Moulana Abdur Rahim of Manik Nagar, adds: “this year, the hide is not being bought by traders and so, madrasa students are collecting the skin almost free.”
One seasonal trader says: “We are not buying skin; the market is in a slump.”
The traders in Posta have said that hide has to be preserved in salt. It’s also believed that traders in Posta identify faults in hide and reduce the price.
Outside the capital, people are forced to donate hide to the local madrasas since no one is coming to buy the skins
The hide is selling at the lowest rate in the last 31 years; the skin of Tk 80,000 cow is selling for less than Tk. 200 while that of a Tk 100,00 on a cow is going for Tk 300.
General secretary of the Bangladesh Tanners Association, Sakhawat Ullah, had warned seasonal traders before. He says: “We are only buying hides that are salted and are avoiding the seasonal traders since we do not have enough cash.”
If seasonal traders want to sell their hide then they should salt them properly and refrain from selling on Eid day, he advised.
The government fixed rates are: per square feet cowhide in Dhaka is between Tk 45 and Tk 50, between Tk. 35 and Tk 40 outside Dhaka. The goat hide is Tk 18 to Tk 20 and for lamb, Tk 13 to Tk 15.

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