Rawhide supply is likely to be higher this Eid-ul-Azha as politicians will spend more on slaughtering sacrificial animals in their constituencies to win hearts of voters ahead of the upcoming election, industry operators said yesterday.
A higher supply of animals in the markets also indicates that the leather industry will get rawhide with ease during this religious festival, which provides half the annual supply of rawhide for the export earning sector.
“It’s going to be a good year,” said Ali Hossain, chairman of Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association.
He said rawhide supply will be up to 6-6.5 million pieces this Eid, up from 5-5.5 million pieces last year.
“Our experience shows rawhide supply from the grassroots level increases in the election year,” Hossain said.
Tanners and leather-goods makers echoed Hossain’s view.
“But political stability will be important in getting increased orders for exports,” said Md Shaheen Ahamed, chairman of Bangladesh Tanners Association.
Exports of leather and leather goods have been buoyant thanks to an increased demand for Bangladeshi leather abroad for its quality.
Buyers are also flocking to Bangladesh for low-cost products in the face of rising costs in the world’s biggest footwear exporter, China.
For the last several years, fresh investment has been made in manufacturing shoes and leather goods to cash in on a duty-free export opportunity to Europe and Japan.
Export earnings from leather, leather products and shoes surged 36 percent to $314 million in the July-September quarter of the current fiscal year, from $230 million in the same period a year ago, according to Export Promotion Bureau.
“Many new buyers are coming to Bangladesh. Our leather has earned reputation globally,” said Tipu Sultan, managing director of Bengal Leather Complex and Bengal Shoe Ltd.
“Buyers from Korea purchased heavily from Bangladesh in the last three months. Exports to Japan are also rising.”
He also cited a recent fair on leather in Italy and said the response from buyers was better than before.
An increased supply of rawhide during this Eid will boost exports further, Sultan said.
More than 10 million animals are being slaughtered a year in Bangladesh for meat, helping the leather industry get 220 million square feet of hides.
China and Korea are taking plenty of crushed leather, said Mohammad Abu Taher, the newly elected chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters’ Association.
He said export earnings from the sector will increase as the industry operators are focusing more on making value added products such as shoes.
“We are gradually moving to make high-end products. Shoes will be a big market for us,” he said.
Tanners should relocate their factories to the leather industrial estate in Savar to scale up exports, Taher said.
Sultan of Bengal Leather Complex said the factory relocation will reduce environmental pollution and help the industry attract more foreign buyers who give priority to environmental compliance.
A higher supply of animals in the markets also indicates that the leather industry will get rawhide with ease during this religious festival, which provides half the annual supply of rawhide for the export earning sector.
“It’s going to be a good year,” said Ali Hossain, chairman of Bangladesh Hide and Skin Merchants Association.
He said rawhide supply will be up to 6-6.5 million pieces this Eid, up from 5-5.5 million pieces last year.
“Our experience shows rawhide supply from the grassroots level increases in the election year,” Hossain said.
Tanners and leather-goods makers echoed Hossain’s view.
“But political stability will be important in getting increased orders for exports,” said Md Shaheen Ahamed, chairman of Bangladesh Tanners Association.
Exports of leather and leather goods have been buoyant thanks to an increased demand for Bangladeshi leather abroad for its quality.
Buyers are also flocking to Bangladesh for low-cost products in the face of rising costs in the world’s biggest footwear exporter, China.
For the last several years, fresh investment has been made in manufacturing shoes and leather goods to cash in on a duty-free export opportunity to Europe and Japan.
Export earnings from leather, leather products and shoes surged 36 percent to $314 million in the July-September quarter of the current fiscal year, from $230 million in the same period a year ago, according to Export Promotion Bureau.
“Many new buyers are coming to Bangladesh. Our leather has earned reputation globally,” said Tipu Sultan, managing director of Bengal Leather Complex and Bengal Shoe Ltd.
“Buyers from Korea purchased heavily from Bangladesh in the last three months. Exports to Japan are also rising.”
He also cited a recent fair on leather in Italy and said the response from buyers was better than before.
An increased supply of rawhide during this Eid will boost exports further, Sultan said.
More than 10 million animals are being slaughtered a year in Bangladesh for meat, helping the leather industry get 220 million square feet of hides.
China and Korea are taking plenty of crushed leather, said Mohammad Abu Taher, the newly elected chairman of Bangladesh Finished Leather, Leathergoods and Footwear Exporters’ Association.
He said export earnings from the sector will increase as the industry operators are focusing more on making value added products such as shoes.
“We are gradually moving to make high-end products. Shoes will be a big market for us,” he said.
Tanners should relocate their factories to the leather industrial estate in Savar to scale up exports, Taher said.
Sultan of Bengal Leather Complex said the factory relocation will reduce environmental pollution and help the industry attract more foreign buyers who give priority to environmental compliance.
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