While sacrifice is a noble and holy practice for Muslims on Eidul Azha, it is also a profiteering business for butchers who demand hefty amounts from masses for slaughtering sacrificial animals.
Many amateur or untrained butchers, who sometimes agree to slaughter the animals for less money, end up damaging the skins and hides of sacrificial animals.
According to an estimated figure, nearly 25 to 30 per cent of sacrificial animals’ hides and skins removed by amateur butchers on Eidul Azha do not get handsome returns in national and international markets due to improper handling and preservation.
With about 800 tanneries in the country actively engaged in producing high quality finished leather from cow, buffalo, sheep and goat skins, Pakistan is considered a hub of producing quality leather and leather products.
Scratches on sacrificial animals’ skins by nails, metallic wires, thorns and other pointed objects affect the price and inflict huge losses to the industry.
Secretary Pakistan Tanners Association Faheem Ahmed told the news agency that inexperienced butchers and people did not carefully handle sacrificial animals’ skins and hides. “People sometimes throw removed skins and hides at different garbage points where these are damaged by pests and birds,” he said.
He said that Pakistan earns about $1.2 billion from hides and skins annually, and if these hides were removed and preserved properly, the country could earn significantly more from this sector.
Pakistan is rich in agricultural products and has a large livestock population with around 13 million hides and 47.4 million skins per annum which contributes a healthy amount to the country’s economy.
More than 500,000 people are associated with leather industry of the country directly and indirectly.
As per a report of Pakistan Tanners Association (central office Karachi), nearly 7.3 million animals were sacrificed on Eidul Azha last year including 2.5 million cows and buffaloes, 4 million goats, 0.8 million sheep and 30,000 Camels.
As far as quality of hides and skins is concerned, the cow’s is considered superior to buffalo’s because of its fine, tight and comparatively uniform structure. Similarly, buffalo is also considered a specialty of Pakistan’s across the world, the report said.
Goat skin is suitable for making shoe leather, garments and some other items, while leather produced from sheep has a very softer touch and is considered best for leather garments. Other common leather products being produced in Pakistan include gloves, handbags, key chains, wallets and sports goods.
Former president Multan Hides Association Shiekh Mehmood told APP that along with inexperienced butchers, sizzling heat on Eid days also damages skins and hides.
He said that due to shortage of professional butchers on the first day of Eid or due to their high rates, some people slaughter animals by themselves damaging skins and hides.
Laborers from different villages also find their way to urban areas and slaughter sacrificial animals despite the fact that they are not properly skilled for the job, he added.
Mehmood said that the life of removed hides and skins was nearly 5 to 6 hours and in case it was not properly preserved, it could get damaged and lose its market value.
Explaining the difference between hides and skins, he said hides were obtained from big animals (Buffalo, Cow, Camel) while skin from small animals (sheep, goats).
He also suggested citizens to sell these skins in a timely manner so that they could be processed for preservation.
There are four common practices to preserve the skin including drying, salting, bringing, and chemical application, he said.
A butcher Munawar Ahmed told the news agency that the charges of slaughtering big animals ranges from Rs. 7,000 to 10,000 and for small animals it is between Rs. 2,500 and Rs 4,000 on the first day of Eid.
However, services charges on second day of Eid can be as low as Rs.4,000 for big and Rs. 1,500 for small animals, he said.
He said that his services had already been hired and he had no opening for the three days of Eid.
