Former Chairman of Pakistan Tanners Association, Khawaja Muhammad Abdullah has said that there would be acute shortage of sacrificial animals on the eve of Eid-ul-Azha and leather industry would come to an end if the government fails to stop smuggling of cows and goats immediately.
It is apprehended if the present outflow of live animals continues, the prices of animals will jump up so high that people will not be able to afford even a share in the sacrificial cow, neither mutton nor beef would be available in the market. At present, mutton is being sold at Rs 500 per kg in towns and villages and Rs 600/kg in major cities. Similarly, beef is being sold at Rs 250 to 300 per kg with bones.
Talking to newsmen here on Sunday, Khawaja said everyday thousands of live animals - cows and goats are being smuggled from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan to Afghanistan and Iran. This smuggling is being facilitated by the fact that the regulated export of live animals is allowed and smuggling also takes place under the guise of 'regulated export.' He said the export and smuggling has severally impacted the leather industry in Pakistan. The industry, second largest value-added and export-oriented industry after the textile sector, has been contributing significantly towards strengthening the economy by earning sizeable foreign exchange for the national exchequer.
He pointed out that a large number of livestock have been lost during the floods last year as well as recent rains and floods in Sindh and continuing regulated export and smuggling has resulted into shooting up of meat prices by as much as 100 to 200 percent. Similarly, prices for goat and sheepskin and cow and buffalo hides have also increased two to threefold during this period.
Former chairman PTA said prices for quality meat are on continuous increase and becoming unaffordable for the common people. Prices for the sacrificial animals would remain unstable during forthcoming Qurbani season on Eid-ul-Azha. Leather sector industry, according to him, will have to face acute shortage of raw hides and skins, which will resultantly impede production activities. About one million people will be rendered jobless creating unemployment in the country, he added.
He said that PTA has persistently been approaching the government with sincere appeal to the President, Prime Minister, Federal Minister for Commerce and other competent authorities concerned to impose complete ban on the export of live animals from the country. It has also been demanding strictly controlling smuggling of live animals, continued unabatedly for the last two years nd exerting negative impact.
The leather industry is in urgent need of suitable remedial action by the government for which co-operation for getting rid of the damaging consequences because of dismal situation is all the more imperative. PTA and other stakeholders in the leather and allied industry and trade have published an appeal in the print media drawing attention of the government to save this second largest export industry from disaster, looming large over its future and one million people engaged with it, he concluded.