Govt raises rawhide prices by 6.0pc

The government has fixed the prices of salt-applied rawhides of sacrificial animals for the upcoming Eid-ul-Azha, with a 6.0-percent raise in cow-skin price compared to previous year's.
The rawhide prices of sacrificial cows have been fixed at Tk 50-55 per square foot (sqft) in the capital city and Tk 45-48 per sqft outside Dhaka.
During the last Eid-ul-Azha, the government increased the prices of cow rawhide by Tk 7.0 per sqft to Tk 47-52 per sqft in the capital and Tk 40-44 per sqft outside Dhaka.
Besides, the rawhide prices of khasi (male goat) and baqri (female goat) have been kept unchanged, as those were in the last Eid-ul-Azha. The prices of goat hides have been set at Tk 18-20 per sqft and baqri skins at Tk 12-14 per sqft.
Commerce Minister Tipu Munshi announced the rawhide rates on Sunday after a meeting with the stakeholders concerned, including tanners, associations and traders of leather sector, at the Ministry of Commerce (MoC). Its Senior Secretary Tapan Kanti Ghosh moderated the meeting.
The commerce minister said, "We do not want to increase the prices of khasi and baqri skins, as their number is higher. Their prices have been kept unchanged at the level of last year."
Replying to a question, he said the government would allow export of wet-blue of sacrificial animals for ensuring fair prices of such items, if the traders concerned are involved in creating any artificial price crisis of hides and skins during this Eid-ul-Azha.
In response to another question, the minister said the current salt price is not reasonable, as the country produces a good quantity of salt this season. Ensuring its sufficient supply during the festival is an issue under the Ministry of Industries.
"We will discuss the matter with that ministry, if necessary."
He mentioned that the government has taken necessary steps regarding the salt issue, and warned that the authorities concerned would take stern actions against the dishonest salt hoarders.
For proper preservation, the commerce minister requested the donors of sacrificial animals to add required salt within the shortest possible time after slaughtering animals, as the weather is very hot this year.
He added that required measures have been taken so that transportation of rawhides is not allowed until 7/8 days from the Eid day.
The MoC already formed four high-powered committees to oversee management of rawhides and skins of sacrificial animals during the Eid-ul-Azha, including their purchase and sale, transportation, and preservation.
The bodies are: a central coordination committee - led by the MoC secretary, a 24-member monitoring team, a divisional committee, and a district committee. It also constituted an 11-member control cell, comprising the MoC high officials.
According to the ministry, more than 50 per cent of the total rawhides and skins are usually collected during the Eid-ul-Azha.
The Bangladesh Tanners Association expects that some 12.5 million pieces of rawhides and skins would be collected during this Eid, including some 10 million pieces of cows and buffaloes as well as 2.5 million pieces of goats and sheep.
Local tanners would get around Tk 2.60 billion loans from twelve commercial banks to procure and preserve rawhides and skins. They requested the MoC to manage Tk 5.0-6.0 billion loans from the banking sector.

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