Project Purpose

To improve the quality of hides and skins in order to support a competitive leather and leather products manufacturing industry.

To improve producer earnings. To increase export earnings from high value products.

Project Description

The project aims at addressing quality issues at the raw hides and skins production stage. This includes the farm, slaughtering and curing areas. The project will involve sensitization of farmers on key areas of branding, tick control and basic appropriate animal husbandry issues and their effect on hides and skins.

The other areas will include training of slaughter house operators and flayers on appropriate methods of flaying, tools and equipment and enforcement of slaughterhouse/ abattoir standards. This will involve collaborating with the County governments as most these operations are devolved.

The project includes :-

1. Identifying centres with high slaughter volumes and working with slaughter house/ abattoir operators on use of appropriate tools and mechanization where possible.
2.   Partnering with County governments to enforce slaughter house/abattoir standards in all slaughter points.
3. Training on flaying and curing procedures to ensure compliance.
4. Collaborating with livestock extension workers to sensitize farmers on need to take care of hides and skins at the farm level.
5. Training of trainers on flaying and curing.
6. Identifying appropriate tools and equipment and recommending operators.
7. Training on proper use of these equipment where they are installed.
8. Total Project Cost – Kshs. 300 Million

Assumption: –

1. The full cooperation, coordination and support of the Council of Governors for the effective training, equipping of slaughter points and enforcement of standards.

The project outcomes will be: – 

Quality improvement of locally produced raw hides and skins to support further value addition.

Professionalizing flaying process and therefore creating sustainable employment.

Increasing both producers and export earnings. Its estimated that raw hides and skins quality improvement without further value addition will increase the value of wet blue export earnings by ksh 28 Billion.  Wealth creation and poverty alleviation amongst rural communities, who are currently contributing to the increasing levels of un-employment.

Improve income distribution in the rural areas.