Over 7 million animals were sacrificed across the country on Eid-ul-Azha which created an economic activity of around Rs 300 billion. According to Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) an estimated 4 million goats, 2.5 million bulls/cows, 0.5 million sheep and 0.3 million other animals were slaughtered on Eid-ul-Azha.
Calculations carried out by Business Recorder based on the average prices of various animals and other expenditures, Pakistanis have spent over Rs 300 billion on Eid-ul-Azha. According to calculations an estimated Rs 150 billion on the purchase of bulls/cows with an average price of Rs 60,000 per animal, Rs 72 billion on the purchase of goats average price of Rs 18,000, Rs 25 billion on buffaloes average price of Rs 100,000 per head, Rs 10 billion on sheep with an average price of Rs 20,000 and Rs 12 billion on camel average price of Rs 120,000.
According to estimates Pakistanis spent an estimated Rs 12.6 billions on the fodder of sacrificial animals during a week, if an average animal eat Rs 300 fodder a day. Similarly, on the transportation of 7 million animals minimum estimated Rs 15 billion were spent, considering transportation cost Rs 2,000 per head.
PTA Vice Chairman Abdul Salam while talking to Business Recorder said tanners were expecting to collect an estimated Rs 6 billion hides, adding that so far the association has not received confirmed numbers as hide collecting organizations including like Shaukat Khanum Hospital, Edhi Foundation, Jamaat-e-Islami and others are yet to bring the hides in the market. He said that within next two days the association will be in a position to give exact number.
According to PTA officials, hide prices have significantly reduced during the past five years as in 2012 a skin of goat was costing Rs 600 which is now being sold at Rs 150-210 depending on the size and origin of the goat. Cow hide is costing Rs 1,500, camel Rs 800.
PTA officials said that this year number of sacrificial animals have increased by 10-15 percent as compared with last year. He points that leather goods mainly use sheep and goat skin, especially for products such as jackets. However, garments such as these are out of fashion in Europe, America, Russia and other countries these days. Several artificial subtitles have taken their place and caused great a depression for the leather industry in developing countries.
According to Jawad Chaughtai, a Lahore-based hides and skin trader, the leather Pakistani industry was facing great competition as low-cost Chinese synthetic products have taken over international markets. He added that due to the trend the demand for goat and sheep hides was significantly declined.
"We were buying goat and sheep hides for Rs 600 to Rs 1,000 per skin some five years ago. Now the same is being sold for Rs 100 to Rs 150 which was the price some three decades ago," he said. According to Rehan Hannan, secretary PTA, almost 25 percent of skins are damaged due to lack of awareness, hot weather and load-shedding on every Eid-ul-Azha, causing an estimated loss of Rs 1.5 billion to both tanneries and the hide dealers.
He said that Pakistan is one of the biggest markets of raw hides and skins in Asia and about 30-40 percent of total produce is generated only on the occasion of Eid. He said Eid-ul-Azha has great importance for rural economy, as tanning industry purchases about 30-40 percent of its raw material during Eid.