Khartoum: Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Professor Ahmed Al-Tijani Al-Mansouri, underscored the importance of the hides and skins sector as a key contributor to the national economy and a vital source of foreign currency revenues.
According to Sudan News Agency, the minister spoke at a workshop on reducing wastage of sacrificial hides, organized by the ministry in cooperation with the agency. He highlighted that the sector suffers from significant waste and neglect due to poor handling, suboptimal utilization, and weak coordination among relevant stakeholders, resulting in the loss of millions of dollars annually and causing environmental issues due to improper disposal.
Al-Mansouri explained that the ministry's strategic plan, consisting of 40 projects under the 'Government of Hope' program, emphasizes transforming hides from waste into strategic export commodities. This plan includes establishing markets for leather products, promoting value-added manufacturing instead of raw exports, and forming partnerships with international expertise houses and global fashion brands. Furthermore, he mentioned collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to rehabilitate meat and livestock product factories.
The minister noted that regional tensions in the Middle East have increased meat prices due to rising shipping and insurance costs and import challenges from Latin America. He urged exporters to capitalize on the opportunity to fill supply gaps in regional markets.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Ammar Al-Sheikh Idris, described the workshop as important, emphasizing that hides remain an underutilized resource despite their economic value. He stressed the need for stronger coordination among relevant entities, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to modernize the sector through production and processing while avoiding raw exports, pledging to implement the workshop's recommendations.
Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Awad Salam, affirmed commitment to coordination with relevant entities to support Sudan's economic recovery. He noted that the country is facing an 'economic war' that requires optimal utilization of available resources and avoidance of waste, stressing the need for unified coordination among ministries for national economic advancement in line with the 'Government of Hope' strategy led by Prime Minister Dr. Kamil Idris.
Director General of Animal Production Development, Engineer Rehab Salah-Eddin, stated that the workshop is part of broader efforts to address key issues affecting the livestock sector. She described hide wastage as a critical issue, highlighting that the sector represents a major pillar of the national economy and contributes to value addition, job creation, and increased national income.