The understanding of leather supply value chain is important
and should be clear because leather and leather products
have become an integral part of our daily life. The finished
leather product reaches the ultimate customer not only as
a result of different industry involvement, but also due
to working of a big supply value chain. The value-added
at each step and the processes during the supply chain fulfill
the demand of the market and industry. The supply of leather
from the African continent, which is a significant producer
of skin and hides in the world is important. This paper
highlights some of the major aspects of the leather supply
chain in which value is added to the leather industry in
Africa. This paper also puts forward the factors which are
acting behind the development of the supply value chain
in Africa. The major significance of understanding the leather
supply value chain is that it provides an integrated approach
to determine and become aware of the problems and constraints
from the basic level of rearing animals for the raw skin
to purchase and use of finished leather products by the
customers.
The leather industry around the world seems to be improving
strongly, by diversifying business into various products
and services. Leather products like shoes, bags, purses,
caps and jackets have become a part of our daily life. High
brand and quality with different style based on occasion
and situation, are the major sources of attraction for sale
in the different malls, corner street shops and multistoried
stores selling leather products around the world. These
products are the best example of supply chain recovered
from various countries, and supply which contributes to
around 80% of the demand for the leather products. Leather
comes to market after the skin is processed through different
chains of processes. The major animals reared for skin are
cattle, goat and sheep. The raw skin obtained from slaughtering
them are put to the supply chain to be used by tanneries,
which use different chemicals and manual processes to produce
the leather, which is further processed into final goods
and products. The chain involves forward integration with
transportation and packaging industry, to supply the finished
products to the retailers and finally to the consumers.
Storage starts right from raw skin of slaughtered animals
to the finished leather products.
|
