Buy Ethiopia Hides and Skins Directly From Exporters & Suppliers - Best of 2024 Market Prices

Ethiopia hides and skins are among the most demanded in the world. The country is among the largest producers of the product because of its vast number of livestock. 

Hides and skin are obtained from cattle, sheep, goats and camels. The livestock sector in Ethiopia plays a vital role in generating income to farmers, creating job opportunities, ensuring food security, providing different services, contributing to assets increase, sets the social, cultural and environmental values and sustaining livelihood strategies of the people. 

Ethiopia hides and skin industry started way back in 1918 during the establishment of ASCO (Currently Addis tannery) and Darmar (currently ELICO). Ethiopia hides and skins industry is one of the continuously growing economic activities in the country.

Hides and skins are among the country’s top foreign currency earners. Although today is ranked 4th after, next to coffee, chat, and oilseed export, in the 1980s and 1990s, it used to be the second-highest foreign currency earner. In 2011 Ethiopia earned $139.28 million from the sale of finished leather, shoes, garments and gloves to the foreign countries. (CSA, 2011). Currently, 27 tanneries in Ethiopia produce all forms of hides and skins and leather for both domestic and export markets.

Hide is the raw sin of a mature animal such as cattle and horses, while skin is the fully grown skin of animals such as pigs, reptiles and birds. Hides are categorized based on the weight and age of the animals.

Hides are categorized based on the weight of the animals. Adult animals hide are categorized in three ways which are, light, medium and heavy. Light hides are from young heifers weighing between 6-11 kg in the green state. Medium hides weigh between 6-11 kg and heavy hides weigh between 11-17kg in the green state. Bulls weighing more than 17 kg. Sheepskin is categorized into hairy and wool type. Goatskin is highly valued as raw materials in the production of superior quality leather.

Ethiopia is located in the horn of Africa between 3-5 degrees north latitude and 33-48 degrees east of longitude. The climatic condition of the country varies from dry, tropical and temperate rainy. The climatic conditions vary between 47 degrees Celsius to 10 degrees Celsius in the highlands. These climatic conditions favor the existence of livestock in the different areas in the country.

Small scale farmers do the production of Ethiopia hides and skins. After slaughtering , the hides and skins are taken to the tanneries for the production process. These are the Addis tannery and the ELICO tannery. 

The average soaking capacity is 107,850 pieces of sheepskin, 51550 pieces of goatskin and 9800 pieces of hide. Collectors of raw hides and skin are found in almost all towns of Ethiopia. Tanneries state that only 10-15 %of hides and skins qualify for the top grades. Hides and skin are not exported in their raw form but manufactured in the tannery to produce leather used in the production of shoes, gloves and leather garments. These products are then shipped to foreign markets.

For anyone who sells or requires the best hides and skins from the horn of Africa, do not hesitate to get it from Ethiopia. Sign up to our platform.