Maharashtra beef ban will hurt tanners
12/03/2015
Some commentators in India have said that the idea of a ban on beef in a state that includes Mumbai will prove unworkable. However, Rafeeque Ahmed, who is president of the All India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association, said in reaction to the announcement in early March that if it goes ahead, tanners in Tamil Nadu will be particularly affected.
Although it’s on the opposite side of the country, Maharashtra has been the source until now of around 40% of the bull hides that tanners in Tamil Nadu source for their production. He also said that Maharashtra hides were among the best in the country, ranking them third behind raw material from Kolkata and Punjab.
Mr Ahmed said output of finished leather will come down because Indian tanners are unlikely for cost reasons to try to import raw material to replace Maharashtra hides. He said: “The cost of sourcing has gone up by nearly 5%. If Maharastra is not going to supply, our production will come down.”
He also said the move to ban cattle slaughter and beef consumption in Maharashtra had come at a time when the Indian leather industry was building up good momentum with figures for the financial year that will close at the end of March suggesting strong growth for the sector (see separate news item for March 12). According to Mr Ahmed, Indian tanners have been picking up orders from customer who previously sourced leather in China.
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