Ismail Hossain Delayed sales, coupled with carelessness, lack of proper preservation, use of low quality salts and chemicals and work of unskilled butchers, have distorted sizeable rawhide and skins of sacrificial animals during Eid-ul Azha. Tanners said at least some 30 per cent of rawhides and skins have been damaged for these reasons. They said awareness, training and keeping seasonal traders and unskilled butchers away from the market chain could ensure 100 per cent quality of rawhides and skin collected during Eid-ul Azha. "The leather sector is very important for Bangladesh. Loss of 30 per cent rawhide losing quality due to lack of proper preservation means losing a huge sum of foreign currency," Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association (BHSMA) President Ali Hossain told the FE. He said, "We urged earlier before Eid not to employ amateur butchers during Eid to separate fur from the sacrificial animals. We asked for salting within 12 hours as this is summer season and use of quality salt. Our suggestions were not followed." 'Seasonal' traders do not preserve rawhide after firsthand collection thinking that they can sell those within a short time…but they cannot and eventually rawhide lose quality," he added. According to tannery owners, as much as 10 per cent fur loses quality for low quality Indian salt while rest of the rawhide becomes distorted due to other reasons. "We alone cannot solve the problem. The government should pay special attention to this," said Md Shaheen Ahmed, president of Bangladesh Tannery Association. He held responsible a syndicate of salt traders who push low quality salts during Eid-ul Azha. Ahmed said that the industry lost as much as 20 per cent of rawhide in 2012 because of use of Indian salt. Ahmed called on all to refrain from using Indian salt in order to help protect the original quality of fur. He also advised employment of professional and skilled butchers. Meanwhile, tannery owners said Indian salt, because of excessive amount of sulphate in it, damages quality of fur. And this could easily be avoided if Bangladeshi salt is used. According to officials concerned, as much as three tonnes of salt are used annually in fur industry whereas Bangladesh produces nearly 10-12 tonnes every year. The government has set a target of earning $ 670 million from leather and leather goods export this fiscal year (FY). Of the amount, $ 460 million will be from leather and $ 210 million from leather goods. The export earnings from leather and leather goods rose to $ 561 million in the last fiscal, posting a 23 per cent growth over the previous fiscal. In FY 2012-13, Bangladesh fetched $ 561.35 million by exporting leather and finished leather goods while during the previous fiscal (2011-12) it was $ 430 million, Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) data showed. The Tannery Association sources said the total demand for rawhide in the country is about 220 million cubic feet. Around 60 per cent hides are collected during the Eid-ul Azha, more than 10 per cent during the Eid-ul Fitr, 10 per cent during the Shab-e-Barat, 2.0 per cent during Kali Puja and the rest round the year, sources said.
30pc rawhide, skins damaged this yr
FE Team | Published: October 22, 2013 00:00:00 | Updated: February 01, 2018 00:00:00
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