Slumping: Decline in prices witnessed of sacrificial animals’ hides

Said to have happened due to decrease in demand of leather from Pakistan

PESHAWAR: A sharp decline was witnessed in the prices of hides of sacrificial animals across the province, despite increasing demand of leather in the global market.

According to a report of United States Hide, Skin and Leather Association (USHSLA), the volume of leather export has increased by 3.5% in 2016 as compared to that in 2015. Similarly, Brazilian exports of leather for April 2016 also showed an increase of 2.3% in volume for the first time as compared to that in the same month in 2015.

The estimates of Pakistan Tanners Association suggest that over 10 million animals were slaughtered during the three days of Eidul Azha in 2016 across the country.

The prices of hides were as low as Rs30-50 for sheep and goat, between Rs300 and Rs500 for cow/calf and between Rs1,000 and Rs1,500 for bigger animals. These prices were lower than those charged during 2015 when between Rs200 and Rs300 was the price of the hide of sheep and goat, between Rs500 and Rs1,000 for cow/calf and between Rs1,500 and Rs1,800 for bigger animals.



Munir Khan, who slaughtered two sheep and the same number of goats this time on Eid, told The Express Tribune that a buyer approached him to buy the hides of the animals he sacrificed. He added the buyer offered only Rs100 for all four hides of his sacrificial animals. However, Munir said he did not sell it to him for such a low price. He added he did not know the exact reason behind the drop in prices of hides.

Of demand and prices

Talking to The Express Tribune, PTA Northern Zones Secretary Fahim Ahmad said the price has declined due to the decrease in demand of leather from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.

He said value wise the leather demands has been decreased by 22% as compared to last year’s statistics. When asked about the increase in demand in developed countries, he said every country has its own export and import demands for leather.

“The decrease in demand of leather has been witnessed in Pakistan, Bangladesh and India for the last three years which led to decrease in the prices of hides.”

He added export decreased to Rs980 million as compared to Rs1 billion earned from export of the Pakistani leather in 2015. The export has decreased due to duty levied on import and hence a slump in demand of leather from Pakistan, Bangladesh and India in the international market.

When asked about fixing prices for hides in Pakistan, he said PTA has not fixed any prices for the traders, but after the hides have been collected, they will be auctioned openly as per the market prices.

The decrease in prices of hides has also irked charity organisations, as it is considered one of the major sources of income for them. Talking to The Express Tribune, Al-Khidmat Foundation‘s worker Fida Muhammad said the decline in prices will impact the activities of the organisation.

He said in 2011-12, he sold buffalo hides for Rs4,500, cow’s for Rs3,000 and sheep’s for Rs450. In 2015, the prices decreased and he sold buffalo hide for Rs2,000, cow’s for Rs1,300 and sheep’s for Rs100. He added the rates have decreased alarmingly in 2016 as this year his organisation sold buffalo hides for Rs1,120, cow’s for Rs920, sheep’s for Rs50 and goat’s for Rs80. This he said make a total income of around Rs1.3 million for his organisation which is lesser than last year’s which stood at Rs1.7 million.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 17^th, 2016.