West Bengal ₹25000cr leather industry hit by hide shortage fears
West Bengal's huge leather industry, worth up to ₹25,000 crore and a major exporter, is apprehensive about a hide shortage.
Why? Stricter enforcement of an old animal slaughter law has made it tough to get cow and buffalo skins.
Things got worse after Eid al-Adha this week, with cow sacrifices at negligible levels than usual, leaving factories scrambling for supplies.
Ramesh Kumar Juneja urges hide imports
With hide prices climbing and global demand still weak, local producers are feeling the pinch.
US tariffs and shipping delays aren't helping either.
The industry supports around 600,000 to 700,000 jobs in and around Kolkata, so this shortage is hitting a lot of families hard.
To cope, leaders like Ramesh Kumar Juneja from the Leather Exports Council suggest importing more hides from places like New Zealand and Australia, but that could squeeze profits even more for already struggling businesses.