Despite a notable increase in the rate of animal sacrifices across Pakistan this Eid-ul-Adha, the value of collected animal hide has significantly decreased.
Data from the All Pakistan Leather Garments and Pakistan Tanners Association reveals that approximately 6.7 million animals were sacrificed this year.
However, the value of the hides collected dropped by Rs 1 billion compared to the previous year, primarily due to the hot weather conditions.
This year, despite a 10% rise in the number of sacrifices, the total value of hides collected was around Rs 6 billion, a decline from the Rs 7 billion recorded in 2022. The intense heat negatively impacted the preservation and quality of the hides.
According to the All Pakistan Tanners Association, the sacrificed animals included approximately 280,000 cows, 330,000 goats, 200,000 sheep, 300,000 buffaloes, and 100,000 camels. The market prices for these hides varied, with cow hides fetching Rs 1,500, goat hides at Rs 400, and camel hides at Rs 500.
Amanullah Aftab, Chairman of the Leather Garments Association, noted that this year’s sacrifices provided three months’ worth of raw materials for leather exports. He also observed a growing trend toward collective sacrifices rather than individual ones.
Experts suggest that better preservation methods, such as keeping hides dry and applying salt during the slaughtering process, could have significantly increased their value. Proper preservation could have boosted the total value of hides from Rs 6 billion to an estimated Rs 10 billion.
