Rawhide prices fall despite govt rate hike

Despite a government increase in the official price of salted sacrificial cattle hides ahead of Eid-ul-Azha, traders and sellers in Dhaka say market prices have fallen compared to last year.

The Ministry of Commerce fixed this year’s price of salted cattle hides in the capital at Tk62 to Tk67 per square foot, up by Tk2 from last year. However, traders claimed raw cattle hides were selling for Tk150 to Tk200 less per piece, while goat hides continued to fetch extremely low prices.

After paying a visit to Mohammadpur, Dhanmondi and Science Lab areas on Thursday (28 May), it was noticed that small raw cattle hides were selling for Tk250 to Tk400, medium-sized hides for Tk500 to Tk650 and large hides for Tk700 to Tk800. Goat hides were reportedly selling for only Tk5 to Tk10 each.

Seasonal trader Kalam said he had sold similar hides for Tk800 to Tk900 last year but was now struggling to secure offers above Tk650.

According to the Department of Livestock Services, around 1.23 crore animals were prepared for sacrifice against an estimated demand of 1.01 crore.

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“Tannery owners are offering lower prices this year, so we are forced to buy hides more cheaply,” said trader Raju Ahmed, who claimed rising chemical and processing costs had affected the market.

However, Bangladesh Tanners Association Senior Vice-Chairman Mohammad Sakhawat Ullah rejected claims of falling prices, insisting that hide prices were Tk20 to Tk50 higher than last year.

Industry insiders also reported lower hide arrivals this year. Seasonal trader Belayet Hossain said he bought only 23 hides by early afternoon on Eid day, compared to more than 150 during the same period last year.