As the holy Eid-ul-Azha draws closer, sacrificial animal markets across Chattogram are becoming increasingly vibrant. Alongside preparations for the religious festival, rawhide traders are also gearing up for one of the busiest periods of the year.
Traders say they have already completed preparations, including stockpiling salt and readying warehouses, to collect sacrificial animal hides.
However, this year, traders are facing a major concern – the ongoing intense heatwave. They fear that excessive temperatures could cause raw hides to spoil rapidly, leading to significant financial losses.
According to the Department of Livestock, around 499,279 cattle, bulls, and cows are expected to be sacrificed in Chattogram district this Eid. Including goats, sheep, buffaloes, and rams, the total number of sacrificial animals may reach approximately 818,671.
Rawhide traders have set a target of collecting between 350,000 and 400,000 hides from Greater Chattogram during the upcoming Eid season. Last year, around 352,000 hides were collected in the region.
Meanwhile, the government has announced fixed prices for sacrificial animal hides ahead of Eid-ul-Azha. This year, the price of salted raw cowhide has been set at Tk 62 to Tk 67 per square foot inside Dhaka, while outside the capital the rate has been fixed at Tk 57 to Tk 62 per square foot.
The price of khasi hides has been fixed at Tk 25 to Tk 30 per square foot and goat hides at Tk 22 to Tk 25 nationwide.
President of the Greater Chattogram Raw Leather Traders Cooperative Society Limited, Md Muslim Uddin, alleged that tannery owners do not purchase hides at the rates fixed by the government.
“Last year, around 95 per cent of leather traders in Chattogram incurred heavy losses. I alone lost nearly Tk 700,000,” he said. “Even though the government sets a price, we are often forced to sell hides at Tk 20 to Tk 25 less per square foot, causing losses of Tk 200 to Tk 300 per hide.”
He further claimed that Dhaka-based tanneries still owe Chattogram traders between Tk 180 million and Tk 200 million accumulated during the 2016–2019 period and after the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Despite several meetings held in the presence of the Ministry of Commerce and business leaders, the dues are yet to be fully paid,” he added.
Leather traders also warned that the ongoing heatwave could create serious preservation problems this year.
“Rawhide contains a large amount of meat and fat, making it highly vulnerable to rapid decomposition in extreme temperatures,” traders said.
“Seasonal and small-scale traders must apply salt immediately after collection, store the hides in cool places, and deliver them to tanneries as quickly as possible.”
General Secretary of the Greater Chattogram Raw Leather Traders Cooperative Society Limited, Md Abul Kalam Azad, said the situation regarding outstanding payments has improved significantly compared to previous years.
“Earlier, unpaid dues were our biggest concern. Now most tannery owners in Dhaka have cleared their outstanding payments to Chattogram traders. Those who still have pending dues have assured payment before Eid,” he said.
According to traders, the average size of a cowhide ranges between 20 and 22 square feet.
Purchasing a hide costs around Tk 400, while additional expenses for salt, labour, and storage increase the total cost to Tk 450–500 per piece.
Once home to several tanneries, Chattogram now has only one operational tannery – Reef Leather – forcing local traders to depend heavily on Dhaka-based tanneries.
Sources at the Leather Tannery Traders Cooperative Association in the city’s Atura Depot area said the sector has shrunk drastically over the years.
While there were once 112 registered wholesale leather traders and around 70 to 80 seasonal wholesalers operating in the area, prolonged losses and unfavourable business conditions have reduced the number of active traders to just 30 to 35.
