The principal of Francistown Rural Training Centre in Botswana, Imi Phili, has expressed disappointment that the quality of hides and skins from municipal slaughter centres in Botswana have not improved.

Speaking at a workshop on the commercialisation of hides and skins at Francistown, Phili lamented that butchery owners in municipal areas were not helping the extension agents to lodge complaints they had on bad flaying to the council. He was also concerned that hides and skins from butcheries and home kills were not being recovered, and any that were tended to be of inferior quality.

The workshop, attended by butcheries, hides and skins collectors, buyers and exporters, artisan tanners and leather goods manufacturers, heard Phili explain he was disappointed with farmers who were reluctant to use government schemes aimed at empowering and educating them.

It was announced that the smallholder farming system, which was implemented from October 2003 to improve the collection and quality of hides and skins in smallholder farming, is expected to end this month, but some activities will be continued in the five countries of Tanzania, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana until June 2006. If Botswana fails to produce quality hides and skins, other countries could soon begin to take their business elsewhere, Phili warned.

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