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Speaking on the sidelines of a business exhibition running concurrently with the Zanu-PF Annual People’s Conference in Bulawayo, leather crafts expert Mr Sibusiso Sibanda said abattoirs were ripping off communal farmers by offering low prices for their hides claiming they were of poor quality.
“The Government should set up an organisation that monitors the prices,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said smallholder farmers did not use proper methods to skin their cattle, resulting in the quality of the skins depreciating.
He said when skinning animals, special slaying knives were used which separate the skin from the carcass smoothly without scratching the hides.
Farmers were not prepared to buy these knives because they were expensive and as a result abattoirs did not want to pay fair prices for the hides, Mr Sibanda said.
“The Government should also discourage farmers from using barbed wire to fence paddocks as it damages the skin of animals through scratches,” he said.
Traditionally, Africans did not throw away animal skins as they had many uses for them such as making drums, mats, whips and straps.
With the commercialisation of cattle rearing, communal farmers have lost out on the hides as they are paid only for the meat.
Africans also did not commercialise killing of cattle as they regarded them as a symbol of wealth.
Mr Sibanda said there was no reason for Zimbabwe to have shortages of hides as it used to be a large exporter of cattle.
“We have no reason to be wearing plastic shoes, belts and bags,” he said.
Mr Sibanda said Zimbabwe could use different types of cow hides it produced to make products that suit different markets.
He said the Government should also tighten security on exportation of hides to curb smuggling.
“Some unscrupulous abattoirs are cheating customs officials by mixing damaged skins with good ones in containers,” he said. — New Ziana.
Online Reporter