The Hindu Business Line : Joint board for livestock, leather mooted

The time is ripe for setting up a joint industries board for livestock and leather industry development, according to Professor M.S. Swaminathan, MP and Chairman, M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation.

Addressing the inauguration of the Lerig 2008, an annual event providing a common platform for the leather industry and academic and research institutions in leather R&D to get together, he said that with the leather industry depending on its raw material from the animal husbandry sector, both industries were closely linked. It is time that the development of livestock and leather industry are looked at in an integrated way.

The industry should also promote the fact that nearly half the source of raw hides was from `fallen cattle’ – animals that have died due to natural causes. This is a humane feature and such products would command a premium in a market that cherishes animal rights, he said.

Public policy should be tailored meet the industry’s own needs in the short term and long term – including the challenge of the strengthening Indian currency and bringing the benefit of development of the industry to small companies, he said.

Mr Rafeeque Ahmed, President, All India Skin and Hide Tanners and Merchants Association, said that the future for the industry was in the focus on domestic markets. Indian companies make about two billion pairs of shoes annually for the domestic market and exports are less than 100 million pairs. But despite the small proportion of exports a lot of attention was spent on developing the export market.

But in the export markets too India can make a mark despite the short-term issues such as the strengthening Indian currency.

With more international players looking at investments in India, the industry here is seen as a market for inputs and raw materials because of its production strengths.