TITLE:
Traditional Leather Processing, Production and Marketing in Amhara Regional State of Ethiopia
AUTHORS:
Bisrat Gebremichael
KEYWORDS:
Traditional Tanners, Traditional Leather Products, Hides and Skins
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Access Library Journal,
Vol.3 No.12,
December
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: A study that explores the livelihoods of the traditional tanners was conducted from November 2013 to April 2014 with the objective of assessing the prevailing traditional leather production and processing knowledge, business environment in Amhara regional state of Ethiopia. In-depth interviews were carried out through direct observation, focal group discussion using a semi-structured questionnaire by interviewing 30 households located in 3 zones of Amhara region and those who work on traditional tanning. The result indicated traditional leather products are important household materials and income generating business especially for the rural community. To produce traditional leather products, they follow different steps and procedures and to facilitate this process in between, they apply different materials and indigenous vegetables. The involvement of traditional tanners in the market is significant that the volume of raw cattle hide they absorb for producing traditional leather goods is more than 600,000 per annum. All the local tanners who work through the process were made up of young and middle-aged men. By tradition, local tanners in Ethiopia belong to a low-caster and are looked down upon by other parts of the community. Artisanal group has suffered from prejudice and relative isolation in society. Considering the high amount of produced leather waste which contains toxic and pollutes plant residues, there should be a great interest to develop a water collection center in the nearby surrounding so as to protect pollution of water bodies which are reserved both for humans and animals.