Tanners hopeful of zero smuggling of rawhides, skin to India this year

Ismail Hossain The country's tanners have hoped there would not be any smuggling this year as rawhides and skin are to be collected during the Eid-ul-Azha at higher prices than those in India. The Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) also has taken special measures to check smuggling of rawhides to India from the Eid day. "We announced the price hike for this year in tune with international prices. The prices we declared are also much higher than those in India," said Shaheen Ahmed, President of Bangladesh Tanners Association. Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters' Association, Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) and Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association (BHSMA) jointly announced the new price list on Saturday. As per the new list, they would buy per square feet of salted cowhide for Tk 85-95 in Dhaka and Tk 75-80 elsewhere, goatskin for Tk 50-55 and buffalo skin for Tk 40-45. Prices of raw hides and skin of sacrificial animals were at around Tk 50-60 per square foot during last Eid-ul Azha. But the prices at which the traders would procure the rawhides from households are most likely to be lower than the rates quoted by the tanneries. He said traders, including the seasonal ones, last year bought hides from people at cheaper prices and sold those at higher prices to tanneries. Due to cheaper prices last year, the Commerce Ministry also threatened to allow rawhide exports as tanners were not offering prices at the international level. The tanners are planning to collect 6.5 million pieces this year. It was 5.5 million pieces in the previous Eid. "The number of sacrificial animals would be 20 per cent higher this year," newly-elected President of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters' Association (BFLLGFEA) Mohammad Abu Taher told the FE. He, however, alleged banks are not giving enough loans for purchasing rawhides. "Though the banks are telling the press that they are going to disburse Tk 7.5 billion loans this year, the real amount is not more than Tk 3.5 billion," he alleged. Meanwhile, the BGB has taken special measures to check smuggling this year. "The officers have been asked to take extra measures to stop rawhide smuggling," BGB Director General Major General Aziz Ahmed told the FE over phone. He said there would be extra vigilance in the frontier from the day of Eid. According to the Livestock Ministry, the country has nearly 47.5 million domestic animals, including 23 million cattle, 1.2 million buffalo, 20 million goats and three million sheep. Most sacrificial animals are brought during the Eid-ul Azha from neighbouring India. The leather and leather goods industry earned over half a billion taka in exports in fiscal 2012-13, according to the Export Promotion Bureau.