Mixed data for New Zealand leather sector
The most recent data relating to the New Zealand leather industry is very mixed, with ovine leather production suffering the most.
Data from the New Zealand Tanners’ Association and Statistics New Zealand show that sheep and lamb slaughter has fallen sharply between 1989 and 2008, while cattle slaughter has increased. Sheep slaughter has fallen from 9.5 million head in 1989 to 6.2 million head in 2008, while lamb slaughter has fallen from 30.6 million head to 26.9 million. Cattle slaughter has risen from 2.4 million head to 3.6 million head.
In terms of export volume, total leather exports fell from 1.3 million square-metres in 1989 to 1 million square-metres in 2008. The peak came in 1995, when exports totalled 2.6 million square-metres.
Bovine leather exports have increased from 610,300 square-metres in 1989 to 888,400 square-metres in 2008. However, this is far below the 1.4 million square-metres recorded in 1995. Ovine leather exports have fallen rapidly from 643,300 square-metres in 1989 to 12,300 in 2,000. The 1995 figure was 1.1 million square-metres. However, deer leather exports have risen significantly from 22,900 square-metres in 1989 to 182.100 square-metres in 2008.
In value terms, total finished leather exports have fallen from $44.5 million in 1989 to $43.3 million in 2008. Again, the highpoint was in 1995, when total leather exports were worth $96.6 million.
Bovine leather exports have risen in value from $20.3 million in 1989 to $33.2 million in 2008, although they have fallen compared with 1995, when exports totalled $52.6 million. Deer leather exports have also risen, from $0.3 million in 1989 to $9.5 million in 2008. This also exceeds the 1995 figure of $4.4 million. However, ovine leather exports fell dramatically from $23.9 million in 1989 (and $39.6 million in 1995) to $0.6 million in 2008.
Tanned or dressed lamb and sheepskin exports have risen in volume from 361,356 in 1989 to 980,192 in 2008, although this is again below the 1995 figure of 1 million in 1995. In value terms, exports have risen from $11.1 million in 1989 to $21.5 million in 2008, but are down from 31.4 million in 1995.
Total exports of raw hides and skins has fallen from $771.9 million in 1989 to $519.9 million in 2008. Ovine wet blue exports have risen from $3.5 to $27.1, while bovine wet blue has risen from $114.1 million to $141.9 million. Raw hide and skin exports have fallen from $555.4 million in 1989 to $238.9 million in 2008.
