This Eid, rawhide traders of Chittagong are relieved as the price of salt has declined by Tk400 per sack since last year.
According to information provided by Chittagong Rawhide Warehouse Traders’ Cooperative Association Ltd, the going rate for a 74-kg sack of salt last year was Tk1260.
However, currently the same amount of salt is being sold at Tk820-850.
Rawhide traders said salt prices dropped because of soaring domestic production.
Muslim Uddin, former president of Chittagong Rawhide Warehouse Traders’ Cooperative Association Ltd, told the Dhaka Tribune that rawhide traders feel relaxed after salt prices plummeted.
"Last year, a syndicate of salt traders caused salt prices to shoot up, so we had to count an additional Tk15-20 on average for the salting of a square foot of rawhide,” Muslim said.
The rawhide traders also said they had to sprinkle 8-9kg of salt over a piece of cow hide and 1-1.5kg salt over a piece of goatskin.
Tanner claim that this year, each square feet of salted cowhide and buffalo rawhide is being sold at Tk45-50 in Dhaka, and at Tk 35-40 outside the capital.
The price of a square foot of the salted skin of castrated goats across the country has been fixed at Tk18-20, while the price the same from an un-castrated goat has been set at Tk13-15.
There are around 200 rawhide warehouses in the Chittagong region, and 20,000-25,000 people are directly and indirectly involved with the rawhide business.
A large portion of the hide is procured during Eid-ul-Azha, one of the two most important religious festivals of Muslims. Last year, rawhide traders of Chittagong procured around 5lakh pieces of rawhide including cow, buffalo, and goat hide.
Salt is produced on around 65,000 acres of land in Cox’s Bazar, and around 5,000 acres in the coastal upazila of Banshkhali under Chittagong district.
It is worth noting that the government introduced the National Salt Policy in 2011 aiming to reduce the import of salt and ensure fair prices.
In the salt policy, it was said if import of salt during surplus production continues, tariff and non-tariff barriers will be imposed to prevent such import for the sake of the local industry.