Our Correspondent
RAJSHAHI, Aug 11: The price of rawhide suddenly falls in Rajshahi just week ahead of the Eid-ul-Azha. Moreover, hide traders of the district are perplexed at the price of rawhide fixed by the government.
Local hide traders mentioned, they owe about Tk 150 million (15 crore) from the tannery owners in Dhaka.
As a result, hide traders in Rajshahi were already in monetary crisis.
President of Rajshahi district hide traders group Asaduzzaman Masud informed, the price of hide has now come down about a half of the previous rate.
Hide traders of Rajshahi owe an arrears of Tk 150 million of 2015-2016 fiscal year.
Moreover, he complained, the tannery owners do not purchase rawhide at the rate fixed by the government.
As a result, the hide traders in Rajshahi are in a fix over purchasing and selling of rawhide during the ensuing Eid.
It is learnt, the government has fixed the price of salted raw cow hide at 45 to 50 per square feet for Dhaka and Tk 35 to Tk 40 for outside Dhaka while the hide of goat has been fixed at Tk 18 to 20 which was Tk 20 to Tk 22 during last year.
The price of hide of she-goat is further less. However, there was no mention of price of hide of buffalo so far.
According to sources, around 40,000 cattlehead including cow and buffalo, 20,000 lamb and 100,000 goats are sacrificed every year in Rajshahi district during the Eid.
Tanners of Dhaka used to purchse the rawhides from some 40 hide-stores in Rajshahi.
Hide traders in Rajshahi informed, tanners of Dhaka often made them hostages and on various pleas they paid low price of hides than the government fixed price.
Mentioning various futile reasons, the tanners of Dhaka remained reluctant to purchase rawhide from the local hide traders and when they insist the tanners to purchase those, the tanners do not pay them the due price of the hides.
As a result, often the hide traders incurred a huge loss.
Moreover, some seasonal hide traders used to purchase rawhides from various places at a high price and adding transport cost and labour cost, those seasonal traders also incur loss.
Hide trader group leaders in Rajshahi alleged, tannery owners used to make an advance payment to the local hide trader group to purchase rawhide during the Eid but with the shifting of Tanneries from Hajaribagh to Savar, there were many new tannery owners who were not paying them advance money for purchasing hide.
Hide trader group leaders in Rajshahi said, the price of rawhide fixed by the government was less than the price of last year whereas the transport, processing and labour cost have been increased this year.
Moreover, the price of rawhide has been fallen during the last one month. The price of salt has also increased.
A 65-kg sac of salt is being sold at Tk 800.
As a result, they mentioned, only the price of salt used to process a goat or lamb hide may surpass the price of the hide.
They have demanded to re-fix the price of rawhide and to save the local hide traders from incurring a total loss.
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Rawhide prices suddenly drop in Rajshahi
FE Team | Published: August 11, 2018 20:53:23
Rawhide prices suddenly drop in Rajshahi
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