Australian kangaroo leather training initiative launched
A new training programme aimed at enhancing the quality of Australian kangaroo leather has been jointly developed by the country's CSIRO Textile and Fibre Technology, Leather Research Centre and the Kangaroo Industry Association of Australia (KIAA).
With funding from the Federal Government’s AAA-FarmBis Australia, the training programme will have separate modules for harvesters and processors, covering topics such as correct skinning procedures, good preservation and handling methods to produce consistent skin shapes with minimal damage from harvest, right through to the processing plant.
"The new training programme has enormous potential to boost Australia’s kangaroo leather reputation by ensuring our supply is consistently top quality," says Mr John Kelly, KIAA development manager. "Quality and consistency are the name of the game, because the industry operates on tight profit margins that can be quickly eroded by flaws that result in wastage and price penalties."
The program will highlight the impact of poor practices on finished leather quality and value. For example, poor salting practices allow bacteria to damage the grain surface of the leather, but harvesters supplying skins to processors currently lack feedback on how their practices affect the quality of the final product.
Comments Ms Jacinta Poole, from CSIRO’s Leather Research Centre: "By working closely with the KIAA, we aim to develop a training programme with a practical focus, that has a very high potential to impact on an individual’s profitability and the industry’s future. And to ensure the training format is appropriate for participants, the programme will include demonstrations from experienced harvesters whose skins are consistently top quality.
"In many cases, simple changes, such as making sure enough salt is used, or the skin is chilled quickly enough can make a big difference." says Ms Poole.
