Pakistan Leather Exports and Eid-ul-Adha Hides and Skins – Why Pakistan Loses Millions of Dollars Every Year?
A major source of raw material for leather industry of Pakistan is Eid-ul-Adha hides and skins. But Pakistan Loses Millions of Dollars in leather exports Every Year. This article highlights the economic value of Eid-ul-Adha hides and skins and issue of Pakistan Leather Exports with recommendations. This article is written by Syed Bassam Akhtar (DVM Student at CVAS Jhang, 03347825533)
Economy of Eid-ul-Adha Hides and Skins
The annual Islamic ritual of Eid-ul-Adha is one of the most important economic catalysts for Pakistan, treasuring a massive, rapid circulation of capital from urban centers to Villages creating a good balance and Cash Flow.
Official data release from the Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) shows the surface stable market finishing sacrifices of 7.47 million animals in 2026, which was higher than 2024 with 6.81 million animals, 2025 with 6.97 million animals. While the overall money circulating approached Rs. 950 billion, the raw material value of the skins alone stood at Rs. 8.67 billion ($31 million).
But unfortunately, Pakistan lacks a Centralized Climate Control Infrastructure. As a result, thousands of hides get wasted before reaching the Tanners. This forces Pakistan’s nearly 900 million dollar value-added leather export industry to import up to 150 million dollars in raw hides to fulfill orders for shoes, Gloves, and accessories from the International market.
Pakistan Leather Exports and Transformation
The leather sector is Pakistan’s Second-Largest Value-Added Export Industry behind Textiles, contributing roughly 5.4% to the country’s overall export earnings. Historically, the leather industry of Pakistan brought in billions, but due to shifting global trends and domestic quality challenges, total Pakistan Leather Exports revenues currently hover around $828 million. PTA holds a Magnificent event named as Pakistan Mega Leather Show every Year to emphasize the importance of Leather Industry of Pakistan.
This Year it was the 11th Pakistan Mega Leather Show 2026. The post show report shows that the 11th edition successfully attracted over 450 exhibitors and drew international buyers from 35 countries. Official Data Graphics revealed that exhibitors reported an average transaction value increase of 18% compared to the previous year.
Source: https://pmls.pk/wp-content/uploads/2026/03/POST_SHOW_REPORT-PMLS-2026-F-06-02-26.pdf
However, the PTA highlights a highly positive Structural Shift inside Pakistani tanneries. Instead of exporting low-margin, semi-processed raw leather (crust/blue leather), Pakistan has aggressively shifted to premium, value-added finished goods.
[Raw/Tanned Leather Exports: $143.60 Million] ──> (60% drop over a decade)
[Value-Added Consumer Goods: $694.20 Million] ──> (Major revenue engine)
Pakistan’s advanced manufacturing clusters in Sialkot, Lahore, and Karachi process this Eid harvest into high-end products highly sought after in luxury and safety sectors across Europe (especially Italy and Germany), the US, and Asia: Leather Garments & Apparel ($282 million / 34% of portfolio), Leather Gloves ($256 million / 31% of portfolio), Leather Footwear ($107 million / 13% of portfolio), Leather Goods ($16 million / 2% of portfolio).
Loss of Eidu-ul-Adha Hides and Skins
Despite the immense value of this multi-million dollar resource, the leather industry of Pakistan faces an existential crisis every Eid due to how hides are donated. Madrassas and local charities are the primary collectors of Eid hides in Pakistan. Organizations like the Al-Khidmat Foundation collect hundreds of thousands of skins nationwide. Localized madrassas collect fresh skins from neighborhoods but lack the basic technical knowledge, labor, or storage facilities to preserve them immediately.
Because Eid currently falls during the peak heat of the Monsoon and Summer months, a fresh skin will begin to decompose and experience severe bacterial rot within Six hours of slaughter if it is not salted. When thousands of hides are left piled up in open madrassa courtyards for 12 to 24 hours without preservation, the grain of the leather is permanently destroyed.
Because Amateur Backyard Skinning causes Deep knife Punctures and Poor Storage leads to massive heat rot, up to 20-30% of the Eid harvest is downgraded to useless scrap. As a result, Pakistan leather export factories are forced to spend up to $150 million annually importing raw skins from the UK and New Zealand just to fulfill their global export contracts.
Practical Solutions to Seed Pakistan Leather Exports
To save this multi-billion rupee national asset of Eid-ul-Adha hides and skins from melting in the summer heat, local and provincial governments must step in with clear, enforceable operational strategies:
Before the Eid season begins, local governments must partner with the Ministry of Information and the PTA to run an aggressive media and neighborhood drive. Educate citizens and madrassa administrators on a simple chemical fixation rule: Every fresh hide requires 5 to 8 kilograms of coarse rock salt rubbed directly onto the flesh side within 2 hours of skinning. Applying rock salt draws out moisture, halts bacterial decay, and extends the hide’s shelf life from 6 hours to 30 days.
قربانی کی کھالوں کی حفاظت ، قربانی کی کھال کو نمک لگانے کا مکمل طریقہ
Local municipal corporations should establish mandatory salt-distribution desks directly alongside designated charity collection camps. Governments can subsidize industrial-grade rock salt, ensuring that lack of immediate funds for salt is never a reason a hide is allowed to rot.
Learning from International Models
Following the Successful models of Turkiye and Saudi Arabia, Pakistani mega-cities must transition away from chaotic, backyard street slaughters. Local governments should set up temporary, shaded Municipal Abattoirs equipped with clean flooring and professional, trained flayers (skinners). Centralizing the Slaughter ensures that skins are removed without deep knife gashes and are instantly funneled into cold storage or salted processing lines on-site.
Way Forward and Conclusion
By bridging the gap between traditional religious donations and basic scientific preservation, local governments can protect rural livelihoods, empower charities, and secure the raw material needed to push Pakistan leather exports sector past the billion-dollar mark.
This is not just for Eid-Ul-Adha but whole year round on a daily basis animals are slaughtered for meat purposes. If both these events could be regulated by Awareness in local people could be raised it can give a significant boost to Pakistan’s Staggering Economy.
