Kangaroo works growing
Veteran of the Australian tanning industry, Theo Livanes, has been making a success of his latest venture, a kangaroo tannery at Morven, a small Queensland town around 600 km west of Brisbane.
Theo’s Bonsella tannery has been aided by the opening of the associated kangaroo meatworks, which has been shut down for the last six years. Until now the tannery, which has been in operation for ten years, has been producing pickles; about 80% for export, with the balance going to the local industry. Recently the tannery has started production of its own kangaroo leather, which is sold domestically for manufacture into bags, shoes and garments.
Tannery manager Shane Henshall said that despite animal rights activists trying to attack the products, they have not affected the pet food and leather industries as much as they have damaged the human consumption market for kangaroo meat.
The Bonsella Kangaroo Meatworks is planning to expand production from 2,000 kangaroos per week to 5,000, and the tannery will increase production to about 15,000 pickled skins a week and 2,000 leather skins. Mr Henshall said the drought had severely diminished the quality of potential skins and significantly reduced the yields from the kangaroo carcasses. The skins also loose a lot of substance and really deteriorate. The small amount of rain in February actually made things worse he said, with the kangaroos scattering away from populated areas, which drove the price for skins up. Morven’s population of 160 supplies most of the 25 people who are employed at the tannery and meatworks.
