Sukanta Halder

Buffalo milk accounts for only 5 percent in Bangladesh

Bangladesh is lagging behind neighbouring countries in buffalo milk production due to low productivity, poor breeding practices, and limited investment in the dairy sector.

As people return to the capital after the Eid holidays, the Dhaka-Mawa-Bhanga Expressway is greeting travellers not with its usual green surroundings and fresh earthy air, but with an unmistakable stench: rotting rawhides.

Rawhide prices in Dhaka rose slightly on the second day of Eid-ul-Azha, still well below government-set prices, while traders outside the capital were forced to dump unsold hides due to low prices.

Fashion and footwear retailers have expressed disappointment over weak Eid-ul-Azha sales, citing changing consumer behaviour and persistent inflationary pressure as the main reasons behind the fall in demand.

Rawhide sellers in Dhaka and some other parts of the country again expressed frustration after being forced to sell hides below government-set prices this Eid-ul-Azha, despite higher rates aimed at protecting the leather industry.

Goat hides see little demand amid weak Eid-ul-Azha market

Retailers say repeated festivals, weather disruptions and reduced purchasing power dampened consumer spending