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Wholesalers, tanners agree to buy, sell rawhide. Wholesale traders and tanners on Sunday agreed to buy and sell rawhide and skin of sacrificed animals on assurance that the stalemate over dues, which the tanners owed to the traders, would be settled.
Earlier on Saturday, the Bangladesh Hides and Skin Merchant Association (BHSMA) announced that they would not sell rawhide and skin bought from the retailers and seasonal traders until their dues were paid by the tanners.
The agreement was reached at a meeting of representatives from BHSMA, Bangladesh Tanners Association (BTA) and Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters’ Association (BFLLFEA).
The Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Industries organized the meeting to break the stalemate between tanners and rawhide wholesale traders.
BHSMA President Delwar Hossain made the announcement after the tripartite meeting at commerce ministry.
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“In the meeting, we have agreed unanimously to sell rawhide to tanners and they also agreed to buy as it like previous years. And the market is open for trading from now on,” Delwar Hossain told reporters.
Industries Minister Nurul Majid Mahmud Humayun and Salman F Rahman, private industry and investment advisor to the prime minister, directed the FBCCI to resolve the payment of dues, said Delwar.
On August 22, the Federation of Bangladesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FBCCI) will hold a meeting with both the parties and would resolve the payment issues, he added.
“As per the minister’s direction, we will hold a meeting on August 22 and every one will try to reach an amicable solution,” said Mohiuddin Ahmed Mahin, a leader of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leather Goods and Footwear Exporters Association.
“In the meeting, we will try to find out whether the dues are from recent time or from last five years,” said Mahin.
“If there is intentional dues, action will be taken against it and the association will not favor them, rather it will help to ensure punishment,” he assured.
“Since the leather industry is very important, it is important to learn how many rawhide has gone waste,” Salman F Rahman said.
“So far, we have learned from local traders that it is about 10,000 pieces, which is 0.5% of total amount of hide, which is one crore pieces,” said Rahman.
Usually, every year about 5,000 pieces of hide go waste but this year it increased due to bad weather, he added.
The government set prices of per square feet of salt-treated cowhide and buffalo hide at Tk45-50 per square feet in Dhaka and at Tk35-40 elsewhere. The price of goatskin has been set at Tk18-20 and Tk13-15 for ‘baqra’ goat across the country.
Initially, rawhide wholesale traders had declined to sell hides to tanners as they were offering lower prices.
In that situation, the government decided to give permission for export of rawhide to ensure fair price.
However, the government backtracked on its decision following request from the tanners.
(DT)
