The seasonal raw-hide traders (the persons who are engaged in purchasing and selling of raw-hide after every Eid-ul-Azha) in Rajshahi are incurring a huge loss even after purchasing the hides of sacrificial animals at a lower price even below the fixed government-rate.
They claimed, if the hoarders would purchase the raw-hides at the government's fixed price, they would earn some profit. But, the hoarders by forming syndicates are purchasing the raw-hide a throw-away price to earn a windfall profit. As a result, the seasonal raw-hide traders were incurring loss.
This year, there is no demand of the raw hides of goat and sheep but the cow-hide is being sold at Tk 300 to 500 per piece. The goat hide is being sold at Taka 15 to 20 and she-goat's price at Tk 10. The hoarders were not purchasing any sheep skin. Even after purchasing the raw-hides of sacrificial animals at such a low price, the seasonal raw-hide treaders were incurring a huge loss.
Sujon and Haider of Ramchandrapur area of the city informed, both of them used to purchase raw-hides after every Eid-ul-Azha and sell those to the local hide traders or hoarders. They said, this year they also purchased 17 picces of raw-hides by visiting the surrounding areas at a low price even fixed by the goverment but after selling those at the end of the day, they incurred a loss of Tk. 400.
Sobur Ali of Bijoynagar village under Godagari upazila informed, he purchasedraw hides on credit from the people of the area and told everyone that he would pay the price after selling those to the hoarders. Now the hoarders paid him an abnormal low price of the hides than he expected and by keeping a marginal profit, he had repaid the prices of the raw hides he purchased on credit.
This year, the government had fixed the price of raw hides of cow or bull at Tk 33 to 37 per sq. ft and the price of goat's at 15 to 17 per sq.ft and she-goat's hide at Tk 12 to 14 per sq ft outside the capital but now where in Rajshahi the raw-hide has been purchased by mearuing as the sq. ft. Rather those were purchased with an estimated prices which are far lower than the government fixed rate.
Meanwhile, President of Rajshahi District Hide Traders Group Asaduzzaman Masud claimed, the prices of raw hides were satisfactory this year. He said, they have purchased per piece of cow or bull raw-hide at Tk 600 to 900, the goat's at Tk 40 to 70 and she-goat at Tk 30-40. He further said, this year there was a record increase in the price of raw-hides in comparison to the prices of the last couple of years.
Rajshahi District Animal Resource Officer Ismael Haque informed, an estimated 194,000 goats and sheep and more than 72,000 bulls and cows have been sacrificed during the current Eid-ul-Azha. He also said there were no satisfactory prices of raw-hides this year.
