Where have the hides gone?

This correspondent visited the market on Tuesday and talked to several wholesalers and small traders.

They said no hide and skin was brought to the market from bordering areas of Jessore, Satkhira, Jhenidah, Kushtia, Chuadanga and Meherpur districts. These have either been smuggled out or awaiting to be smuggled, they claimed.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

This is due to the low prices of the commodities, fixed by tanners in Dhaka, they said.

Alanddin Mukul, Joint Convernor of Hides and Skin Traders' Association at Rajarhat market said huge quantities of hides and skin were brought to the market in previous years. But it is different this year.

He said small traders could not buy hides and skin from bordering areas as tanners in Dhaka did not give them loan this year.

Tanners and big traders from Dhaka, Natore, Iswardi and Kushtia came to the market buy hides and skin. Hundreds of retailers, small traders and wholesalers came to the market on the outskirts of Jessore town beside the Jessore-Khulna highway. The market sits on Saturday and Tuesday every week.

They however said, agents of Indian smugglers could not smuggle out hides and skin during three days after the Eid due to preventive measures taken by the government and vigilance by law enforcers.

The traders said tanners in Dhaka fixed low prices for hides and skins this year, taking advantage of government steps against smuggling.

Traders in bordering areas purchased the commodities at low prices but did not bring those to the market. They are possibly waiting to see the market or have sold those to agents of Indian smugglers, they said.

At the market, a big size hide was sold at Tk 1000 to Tk 1100 and a small one at Tk 700 to Tk 800. Small traders said they incurred a lass of Tk 300 to Tk 400 on each big hide and Tk 100 to Tk 200 in a smaller one. Goat skin was sold at Tk 200 to Tk 250 per piece.

Fakir Rishi, a small trader from Narail said, he brought three pieces of hide at a price of Tk 1100 to Tk 1200 each. Traders are offering only Tk 800 to Tk 900.

Khagen, a trader from Kalia, Narail said, he brought 45 pieces of hide. His average price was Tk 1250 per piece. But traders were offering only Tk 1050 per piece. Till 12:30 noon, he could not sell a piece of hide.

Mahadeb of Basari Fultala upazila in Khulna said, he brought 47 pieces of cowhide. His averahe cost was Tk 1310 per piece but traders are offering Tk 1050 only.

Abdul Khaleque, a trader from Ram Nagar said many small traders have been ruined as they can not clear their stock, bought at higher prices.