Tanzania`s livestock skins fetch low prices in the world market due to the destructive tradition of using hot-metal skin branding to identify ownership. The hot-metal branding of animals used by pastoralists degrades the quality of the raw skins. The markings are used as a strategy against cattle rustling.
A piece of cow skin exported from Tanzania currently fetches 8,000 shillings on average, while grade one animal skins and hides with no hot-metal markings fetch as much as 20,000 shillings. Animal skins of higher quality from neighboring Kenya and Sudan are sold at between 16,000 and 18,000 shillings respectively.
In a report released to dealers of hides and skins here recently, national hides and skins improvement coordinator Richard Sillo said Tanzania had been losing millions in foreign exchange by exporting inferior skin products. He said animal skins from Rwanda fetched the highest price in the world market of 20,000 shillings per piece. He blamed the problem in Tanzania on ignorance by pastoralists who brand their animals randomly on the skin.
Tanzania Leather Association chairman Elibariki Mmari recommended the use of knives with blunt edges to avoid piercing the skin when skinning animals. He warned that not all knives were appropriate for skinning. He urged dealers to change their attitudes, skinning practices and the grading of animal hides and skins in order to raise the quality of their products in the world market.
Tanzania is the third largest livestock-breeding country in Africa after Ethiopia and Sudan.
To ease your site search, article categories are at bottom of page.
