Uganda: 90% of leather products imported
Uganda’s leather industry is still in its infancy stage of development with over 90% of leather products imported, despite the potential in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) region.
In the last five years, there are no reports of leather exports. This has led to the dominance of shoe imports on the market.
Statistics from the leather tanning industry show that Uganda produces only 1 million pairs of shoes annually which are consumed locally, while 24 million are imported from mainly Italy, China and Europe.
“In Uganda, the quantity is there, but the quality is still poor. People cut the hides badly,” said Su Xiaolin, manager of SKYFAT Tannery in Jinja, one of five tanneries in the country.
“Health inspectors only go and inspect the meat, but they don't inspect the hides and skins. Once a hide is cut badly during the slaughter process, it is rendered a waste in the factory,” said Emmanuel Mwebe, chairman of the Uganda Leather and Allied Industries Association.
An advisor at the International Trade Centre (ITC), Frank Mugyenyi, suggested that the leather sector has to build up links on how to add value to the products. “We have the market, but what is not there is the capacity to meet the huge COMESA demand,” Mugyenyi said during the COMESA National Dissemination Workshop on Promoting Regional Trade in Leather and Leather products held in Kampala recently.
COMESA has a regional market of 440 million people. With the tripartite, which includes COMESA, East African Community (EAC) and Southern African Development Community (SADC) in place the region will have a combined market of 580 million people. “We need training on how to handle the hides and skin if we have to make good raw materials.” Mr Mugyenyi added.
