Dar es Salaam. The value of traded raw hides and skins decreased by Sh482 million in 2023, owing to low quality and an inefficient collection system, according to the Bank of Tanzania (BoT).
The value of these products decreased by 22.7 percent to Sh1.63 billion from the corresponding quarter in 2022 where traded value of the products was Sh2.12 billion.
The data was revealed in the recent issued Consolidated Zonal Economic Performance Report for December 2023.
Hides refer to the skin of cows and buffaloes while that of goat and sheep is called a skin.
“The market for raw hides remains an overarching challenge within the country, depriving revenue generation and other opportunities within the economy,” the report says.
The Lake zone accounted for the largest share of the traded products by 48 percent, trading hides and skins valued at Sh786.7 million.
Lake Zone regions include Gita, Kagera, Kigoma, Mara, Mwanza, Shinyanga and Simivu.
The Dares Salaam zone traded Sha88 million worth of the hides and skins, while the central zone regions comprising of Morogoro, Dodoma, Singida, and Tabora regions traded products worth Sh286.3 million.
Northern regions (Arusha, Kilimanjaro, Manyara and Tanga) traded hides and skins valued at Sh220.1 million, while the south eastern traded products valued at Sh58.6 million.
Hides and skins are used to produce leather products (such as footwear, bags, wallets, clothes, furniture, belts and paints) for local and export market.
Most of these products are produced by small and medium enterprises for sales locally as well as in regional and international markets.
Leather products have the great potential for regional and international markets due to growing demand for leather products associated with the growth in the population of people falling within middle and high income classes.
According to the ministry of Livestock Tanzania is uniquely positioned with eight bordering countries (Rwanda, Burundi, DRC, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi, Zambia, Mozambique) giving a total regional market size of more than 150 million people.
There is also a huge potential to sell the products locally to the tourists who frequently visit the country as Tanzania is an important tourist destination.
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Tanzania: Samia Hands Over NBC’s 354m/ – Crop Insurance Compensation to Farmers Affected By Hailstorms
President Samia Suluhu Hassan, has handed over a cheque of 354m/- from the National Bank of Commerce (NBC) as compensation to tobacco farmers, who were affected by hailstorms during the previous farming season in various regions across the country.
Handing over the cheque in Dodoma, the compensation is part of the crop insurance service provided by NBC in collaboration with the National Insurance Corporation (NIC).
Furthermore, President Samia has also handed over health insurance coverage to members of the Lindi Mwambao Cooperative Union based in Lindi Region, through the Farmers’ Health Insurance service provided by the bank in partnership with Assurance Insurance Company.
While visiting the bank’s pavilion at the Nanenane Agricultural Exhibition and being received and briefed by the bank’s Managing Director, Mr. Theobald Sabi, she said: “This crop insurance is one of the crucial solutions in ensuring farmers have a reliable income, without fear of challenges such as natural disasters, including hailstorms.
“I call upon all farmers in the country to make the best use of this important opportunity by accessing these kinds of insurance services. I also highly commend NBC and all the stakeholders participating in this programme.”
Elaborating further on the crop insurance service, the Minister of Agriculture, Hussein Bashe, stated that it will help to recover the loss farmers incurred, especially in various calamities beyond their control.
Citing them as floods, fires, and hailstorms, which have significantly affected the well-being of farmers and caused some to be reluctant to invest in the crucial sector, Mr Bashe added: “However, our President, this step by NBC is just the beginning, as this is the second year since they started offering this service, and the results are already visible.
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“As the government, we promise to continue supporting the wider implementation of this service, with the goal of ensuring that this crop insurance service reaches more farmers.”
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On his part, Mr Sabi said that the farmers who benefited from the compensations are from 23 primary cooperative unions in the regions of Shinyanga, Geita, Tabora, Mbeya, Katavi, and Kigoma.
He added: “In addition to these insurance services, as a bank, through this exhibition, we have continued with our programme of providing financial education and various banking opportunities to farmers, alongside offering them various loans, including loans for agricultural equipment, particularly tractors, to eligible farmers.:
At the NBC booth, President Samia also had the opportunity to be briefed on the various services offered by the bank to the farmers namely crop insurance and health insurance services.
There, the President had the chance to speak with some of the beneficiaries of the services, including the Vice-Chairman of the Lindi Mwambao Primary Cooperative Union, Mr. Hassan Mnumbe, whose union has been provided with a health insurance card from the bank.
Source: allafrica.com
