Due to one crisis after another in the tannery industry, the owners are losing interest in collecting sacrificial animal skins. On Tuesday (May 26) it is known that after talking to the traders in Tannery Mor Hazaribagh area of the capital, they are worried about getting the price this time.
Tannery owners say that the country's largest export sector is now facing an existential crisis due to falling prices in the international market, skyrocketing prices of chemicals, severe power outages and neglect of international buyers. Due to the lack of international certificates, the owners of Dhaka have lost the European market and are hostage to the monopoly syndicate.
According to the data of Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA), due to high inflation and international situation, animal sacrifice may be relatively less this time. Keeping that equation in mind, the target of collecting 75 to 80 lakh pieces of sacrificial animal skins has been set, which is slightly reduced compared to last year. Among them, they will buy about 80 percent of the skins of the sacrifices in Dhaka directly from artisans and small traders. However, internal and international crises have become the main obstacles in the way of achieving this huge goal. After losing the European market due to the lack of international certificates, now the owners of Dhaka have to rely mainly on the syndicate of Chinese buyers.
Despite the crisis, some businessmen in Tannery Mor and Hazaribagh of the capital are still continuing their business. One of them. Sajidur Rahman. He said, “The owners have set a big target of collecting 75 to 80 million hides, but the condition of field-level tanners like us is very pathetic. If the big tannery owners of Dhaka cannot sell leather in the international market, how will they buy leather from us in cash on time? We have workers ready to tan. But if the big owners are empty-handed, we will not be able to hold on to tannery. We have made losses last year, and this year too. I am very confused about the collection.”
Another tannery trader in Hazaribagh of the capital said on the condition of anonymity, “The biggest crisis in the leather industry is the price of chemicals and electricity. Once the production starts in the tanneries of Dhaka, the drum has to be kept running for 16 to 72 hours. But due to frequent load shedding, it is not possible. Besides, due to the increase in salt, labor and transportation costs, the price of raw leather is likely to decrease a little compared to last year. Another big problem is that there is no alternative or competition in our market. Because the big buyers in Europe and America have stopped buying our leather, some traders in China are forming a syndicate. They know that there is no one to buy our goods, so the owners of Dhaka are hostage to this Chinese syndicate. If the government cannot break this syndicate diplomatically, then small traders like us will have to stop.
Tannery owners are seeing the government's decision to control the entry of raw hides from outside Dhaka into Dhaka for the first 10 days after Eid. They say, it will be possible to collect and primary processing of skins from Dhaka first, which will immediately reduce the additional pressure on the limited capacity. However, if the quality of the leather is not good and the high price of chemicals continues, the risk of a collapse in the raw leather market cannot be ruled out. The tannery owners demanded immediate assurance of uninterrupted power supply and speedy release of government incentives to protect this national resource.
Meanwhile, according to the calculations of the Ministry of Fisheries and Livestock, the number of animals that can be sacrificed in the country this time is more than 1 crore 23 lakh. Out of this, cows and buffaloes are about 57 lakhs and goats and sheep are more than 66 lakhs. It is estimated that the number of possible victims may exceed 1 crore.
Chairman of Bangladesh Tanners Association asked about the overall situation including this year's leather collection. Shaheen Ahmed told RisingBD.com, “I think this year's supply management has been better than other years. The government has distributed free salt worth about Tk 17 crore. Besides, several crores have been spent on awareness programs at the district and upazila levels. The issue will be monitored at all levels of administration and madrasahs and orphanages will be encouraged to use salt to preserve leather. This time our target is around 75 to 80 lakh. The price of leather will depend on The reality is that if the quality is right, you will get a good price, and if the quality is not right, you will not get the right price.”
He also said, “Everyone involved in the sacrifice is being repeatedly told that salt must be applied to the skin within seven to eight hours of slaughtering the animal. Currently, due to the rainy season, if the skin is wet for a long time in the rain, there is a risk of its quality being damaged. As a result, the market price may also decrease. If salt is used at the right time, it will be possible to get a fair price for the skin. Besides, the Ministry of Industry, Ministry of Commerce and related associations are working in coordination with our skin in the international market.”
