Fintrac Harvest Fall 2007

Ectoparasite Program Buoys Optimism in Ethiopian Leather Sector

ADDIS ABABA - In a baseline study of 22 taneries, Fintrac found that 80 percent of hides were damaged by ectoparasites and branding, and 30 percent were damaged by knife cuts and storage problems. All in all, this was adding up to a lot of damaged goods and an opportunity to launch a massive training effort in veterinary care and flaying techniques through the USAID-funded Agribusiness and Trade Expansion Program (ATEP), implemented by Fintrac.

With defect reduction a top priority, Fintrac's hides, skins and leather (S=HSL) team is on the ground working with dozens of lead clients representing thousands of beneficiaries. Primary activities are veterinary and technician training in dippin and spraying to control ectoparasites. In a test treatment program, infestation rates dropped 75 percent, improving the outlook for farmers, tanners and leather buyers.

The HSL team is also training farmers and slaughterhouses to use proper flaying tools and techniques, improved drying methods, use of salt, and efficient transportation and storage logistics, Project technicians are working with abattoirs, tanners and traders to improve product processing and marketing. Fintrac is working with local counterparts such as the Ethiopian Leather Industry Association (ELIA) and the Leather and Leather Products Training Institute (LLPTI), as well as counterparts UNIDO, World Vision, and other donorfunded programs.

The project has held 26 ectoparasite control trainings for 568 technicians, and 31 trainings for 764 slaughterhouse workers and 365 collectors and traders.

HSL leaders are starting to see a difference. Alemayehu Simegn has owned the Wallia Tannery in Addis Ababa for 15 years. “Our hides and skins supply has been very lowgrade,” Alemayehu said. But after Fintrac interventions, his business is growing because he is finally getting the quality material he needs. “We want better skins,” he said. “That takes better handling after slaughtering, better collection, and better animal health.”

The process takes trust. Tanners cannot see all defects until the hair is removed during the tanning process. A tanner therefore typically buys the hide or skin without any guarantee. “We have seen the consistency improve and are now more willing to pay a higher price,” Alemayehu said. “Everyone wants a better standard of living. Now we have the chance to make this happen with better quality, better prices, and better products.”

The program also continues its effort to build 30 hides and skins collection centers. These centers are expected to collect products worth more than half a million dollars annually and improve raw material quality.

Fintrac’s efforts combined with those of other stakeholders have resulted in a nearly 20 percent increase in the country’s HSL exports and it is estimated that overall raw material collection has increased by 25 percent. According to the Ministry of Trade and Industry, exports of valueadded leather account for 35 percent of total exports.

In addition to its work in the HSL sector, Fintrac is also improving yields and incomes in the Ethiopian horticulture, coffee, and oilseed/pulse sectors.