Leather exporters eye Tk 30b rawhide collection

Leather exporters are expecting to collect rawhides worth around Tk 30 billion from tens of thousands of animals sacrificed during the last Eid-Ul-Azha, reports BSS. "We hope to collect rawhides worth Tk 30 billion from 40 lakh sacrificial animals this year," president of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association (BFLLGFEA) Belal Hossain told the news agency Wednesday. Hossain said around 20 per cent rawhides have so far been collected and the remainder will be collected by the next one month. "We are purchasing rawhides at a reasonable price," he added. He, however, expressed his dismay that rawhides are being smuggled out through some border areas that may hamper local business. Earlier, four public commercial banks-Sonali, Janata, Agrani and Rupali-sanctioned Tk 3.65 billion in loans, 21 per cent more than last year, to help the tanners purchase rawhides. Tanners did not fix the price of per sq feet rawhide this time fearing the price fall in the international market. But Export Promotion Bureau (EPB) latest data shows that the country surpassed the export target of leather and leather goods during the last four months of the 2011-12 fiscal. The country earned US$134 million from leather export during the period against the target of US$124.64m. Over US110.23m was earned from export of leather, registering 9.39 per cent growth over the target while US$24.15m from export of leather goods with 1.17 per cent growth. Bangladesh exports leather, finished leather goods to many countries including Italy, China, Taiwan, Japan and Hong Kong. Leather and leather goods had a remarkable export performance fetching $ 353.25 million in 2010-11 financial year - $ 297.83 million from raw leather and $ 55 million from leather goods, according to the EPB.