Tanzanian tanners want raw hide export ban
19/07/2011
Other countries in the region including Uganda, Sudan, Zambia, Ethiopia and Nigeria have banned the export of these raw materials, which has made Tanzania even more of a focus than before for importers.
TTA chairman, Onorato Garavaglia, has told local media that there is a lack of political will to help the tanning sector in Tanzania. The government has said that it is prepared to continue granting export licences for raw hides and skins because Tanzania’s tanneries lack the capacity to process all of the African country’s hides and skins.
However, Mr Garavaglia has countered by saying that with a little help, member companies of the TTA could process a combined total of 2.4 million hides and 13 million skins a year. He calculates that at current capacity the country’s tanneries could proces 1.5 million hides a year and 8.5 million skins.
He said the country’s installed capacity in the tannery industry is 1.5 million pieces of raw hide and skins compared to the 50,000 pieces it produces currently.He added that the country has the capacity to produce 8.5 million pieces of skin per year but only four million pieces of skin were available. Furthermore, he said the tanning industry employs 2,000 people in Tanzania at the moment, but that increased availability of hides and skins would allow this figure to rise to 15,000.
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