Algeria: Tamanrasset tanners may have veg tanning agent on their doorstep
08/01/2015
Plans emerged in 2014 for a new tannery to make veg-tanned leather in the province of Tamanrasset to help fill a gap in the market there for local leathergoods, according to CAM (Chambre d’artisanat et des métiers), an Algerian organisation that supports national artisan businesses.
Cost and a lack of raw materials are the main obstacles CAM has identified. Director Mourad Saïdani told Algerian media at the time that 1,800 camel skins and 12,000 goat skins are produced every month in abattoirs in Tamanrasset. However, there are concerns about the raw material being smuggled out of the country for tanning in places such as Niger. Processing the skins in a new, local tannery will allow communities in this part of Algeria to add more value to their natural resources, and will raise employment, he said.
To help address the cost issue and stay faithful to the spirit of artisanship, Mokrani Youcef spoke to industry representatives in Tamanrasset about the potential for using local plant extracts as tanning agents in veg-tan processing, mentioning specifically positive tests that have already taken place with Calotropis procera, a flowering plant known locally as kranka. The plant grows in arid regions all over North Africa and, although toxic, has many traditional uses, including in traditional medicine.
Mr Mokrani said he believes tanning could become another way for local people to benefit from the plant. He said: “If our scientific analysis backs up the results we have seen, we could kill two birds with one stone. We would have a natural tanning agent on our doorstep and we would be able to launch a wholly local, wholly natural Tamanrasset leathergoods label.”
After hearing Mr Mokrani speak, Mourad Saïdani urged local artisans to take part in the initiative.
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