The ongoing war against terror has not only hit the people of the troubled areas, but it also badly affected the livestock production, which is registering downward trend resultantly the leather sector may face shortage of hides and skins.
There is massive decline in the hides and skins' production in NWFP and the troubled areas of Balochistan province and livestock also badly hit because of the war against terrorism and militants activities. According to an estimate, about 25 percent production of hides and skins has been declined that pushed the hides and skins cost for the leather industry.
It is pertinent to mention that the country's leather exports are persistently declining due to a number of reasons, including world-wide economic recession, unprecedented increase in utilities tariff, gas and power shortage that made the local leather and leather goods non-competitive in the international market. Although the leather exports are diminishing, the prices of hides and skins are sliding up mainly because of scarcity created by war on terrorism in the areas, which were rich in livestock.
Former Chairman of Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) Aga Saiddain told Business Recorder here on Tuesday that the livestock sector was badly effected in the war affected areas of the Fata, North Waziristan and Swat. He said the animals were the main source of income for the people living these areas. As soon as the militants started their activities in the NWFP areas like Swat, Malakand, Norther Waziristan and counter-action by the Pakistan Army, the people left their homes for safe place.
As a result, the displaced persons, who had to travel amid fear, could not bring their animals from these troubled areas. Besides, the transporters also charged heavily and it was impossible for the people to bring their animals along with them, he added.
Aga Saiddain said the transportation of hides and skins had been completely stopped from the war-affected areas and around it. Moreover, Badin and other areas, adjacent to the Afghan borders, also remained main source of supply of hides and skins, which were badly affected due to the activities of the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) and law-enforcement agencies' action against the militants, he added.
Apart from it, the frequent attacks on containers to halt supply to the Nato forces in Afghanistan was also one of the reasons that restricted transport of hides and skin from Balochistan areas as no one was ready to take risk under the warlike situation, he said.
Aga was of the view that the displaced person now had to restart building their animal stocks, which would take a year or two. Only the supply of buffalo hides remained stable because it concentrated in Punjab and Sindh, which were comparatively more safe as compared to Balochistan and NWFA areas, he added.