After 3 lean years, the price of sacrificial skins in Egypt has fallen to record lows and is sometimes thrown into the trash, so experts expect a big jump in the price of these skins during the current Eid al-Adha season.

Although Ukraine has recently suffered from the problem of high feed prices as a result of one of its causes since the crisis, it still supplies tanneries and leather in excess of the demand of the local leather industry.

Leather trade officials and farm owners explained to “Sky News Arabia Economy” how the skin removal crisis began, and some of them pointed to a major improvement this season.

Livestock production decreased

The livestock sector in Egypt has seen a fluctuation in the number of livestock heads since 2012, with some years’ decreases exceeding increases.

Currently, there are 3 million and 530 thousand cattle in Egypt, and the number in 2022 was 7.5 million, which means that it has decreased by more than half, while in 2022 there was an increase of one million head in 2020. Livestock numbers reached 6.5 million head, but all of these numbers came well short of the 18,989,000 head in 2012.

Leather price

Ahmad Abu Al-Hajjaj, owner of a cattle farm, says that since skin prices have fallen over the past three seasons, some have given them away for free to charities or disposed of them in rubbish bins. on the streets.

According to Abu al-Hajjaj, during that period the price of calfskin fell from 100 to 150 pounds, from 1,000 to 1,300 pounds, and from 10 to 20 pounds for sheepskin, from 100 pounds previously.

Before the skins are collected, they are kept in a designated room at each licensed slaughterhouse and at the end of the day of slaughter, the skins are cleaned and then salted and collected by a contractor who sends them to tanneries in Cairo. Dr. Fathi Selmi, Director General of Veterinary Medicine in Luxor Governorate explained.

Former President of Luxor Farmers Syndicate, Engr. Ali Kinavi says that he was involved in the collection process, massacres, merchants, mosques and charities.

Kenavi describes the state of the skin as having become “almost priceless” in the last three years, and its collection is now done separately, expressing his hope that the Ministries of Agriculture, Industry and Trade will focus on this wasted wealth. , and can generate revenues in the billions of pounds.

A breakthrough in price

According to Muhammad Mahran, head of the leather division of the Chamber of Commerce, one of the reasons for the decline in leather prices is the result of economic conditions and the negative aspects of the poor quality of leather, slaughtering and skinning.

However, Mahran is hopeful of an improvement in the current season after abattoirs’ interest in proper slaughtering and skinning methods that preserve the quality of hides. Prices can reach £500 this season, and rise according to quality.

The head of the leather division expects the production to exceed the requirements of tanneries and local industries. Therefore, he calls for the export of these skins abroad during the surplus period and season, especially as they will be an important source of introduction of hard currency.

Meat is self-sufficient

To limit the impact of global crises on agriculture and livestock, the Egyptian government has taken steps to become self-sufficient, said Dr. Hosam Salam, technical support team member of the ministry’s animal and poultry department. Televised reports in June 2022 reached 60 percent red meat in that year’s sufficiency.

Before the Senate, Minister for Planning, Dr. Hala Al-Sayed said this June that the ministry has allocated investments for the 2023-2024 financial year for the development of agriculture at 116.6 billion pounds.

Among the goals of these investments are raising self-sufficiency in red meat to 70 percent and fish production to 98 percent, expansion of model slaughterhouses to reach 3,000 slaughterhouses.