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Sacrificial animal skin lack buyers in Chatmohar


Published : 12 Jul 2022 10:49 PM

In the last few years, the people in Chatmohor who have sacrificed animals on the occasion of Eid-Ul-Adha have faced trouble with the skins of sacrificial animals. Many have been seen sitting with the skins of their animals due to lack of buyers. Buyers seem to have no interest in leather. The information was obtained by visiting several areas of Chatmohar on Sunday and Monday.

Abdur Rahman, general secretary of Baluchar-Chhotashalikha Samaj of Chatmohar Municipality, said, "We have sold the skin of 84 goats and 26 cows of our society for Tk 18,630." Idris Ali, a resident of Madhya Shalikha Mahalla, said, "We have sold the skin of a cow worth one lakh taka for only 800 taka." The price of leather has dropped dramatically over the last few years. This time the buyers did not have much to buy leather.

Majnur Rahman, a resident of Bahadurpur village in Mathurapur union of the upazila, said, "We have sold 11 Khasi and one cow hides of our society for only Tk 800." Mamun of Dolong village in Bilchalan Union said they donated a buffalo skin worth Tk 1.42 lakh to the madrasa as they could not find a buyer. He added that leather has been sold at a good price even a decade and a half ago. At that time, on the day of Korbani Eid, hundreds of seasonal leather traders used to buy leather from different villages and sell it wholesale. Wholesalers processed it and sold it to leather merchants in Natore.

Shukumar Chandra Das, a leather trader in the new market area of Chatmohar Municipal Sadar, said, “Although I trade leather all year round, I buy the most leather during Eid-ul-Azha. This time I am buying 300 cow skins, 5 buffalo skins and 600 khasi skins for about 3 lakh taka and processing them. Seasonal traders buy leather from the village and sell it to us at a profit of Tk. 200 per cow and buffalo skin and Tk. 5 to 10 per khasi skin. We send goods to Natore and Dhaka. In Natore, salted cow hides are being sold at Tk 1,000 to Tk 1,100, buffalo hides at Tk 1,300 to Tk 1,400 and khasi hides at Tk 60-70 each. ”

He added that they have to buy leather in cash. During the labor crisis during Eid, they have lost their money for a long time and sometimes they can't take the rest of the money, so they don't pay much attention to buying leather. Many have already closed the leather business. According to Chatmohar, Govinda, Sunil Chandra Das, Jamal and 4 to 5 others are running this business.

It is to be noted that even though the government fixed the price of leather, nowhere in Chatmohar was leather sold at the price fixed by the government. Because there are not many warehouses in the area and the price of leather is not good, the sacrificers do not take their leather far and wide to sell. Many have donated their skins to local orphanages, madrasas and other such institutions. People belonging to orphanages and madrasas have collected skins from different areas and sold them elsewhere. Four or five leather collectors are buying some leather and processing it.