Brukkaros Skins targets European market
THE only small stock skin tannery in Namibia that has the capacity to process all the available Namibian small stock skins is situated about 20 km outside of Keetmanshoop.
Brukkaros Skins processes sheep skins into a final pickle stage. The tannery buys raw skins from small stock abattoirs and farmers across Namibia and the final product is exported to Europe.
The current production capacity of Brukkaros Skins is 4 500 skins per day. At the moment just 50 per cent of the capacity is being utilised because of the low season and intense competition from South Africa.
“We are ready to process all available sheep skins in the country. Unfortunately a certain percentage of sheep skins still leaves Namibia raw because of fierce competition from South African companies on the procurement side,” said Dr. Kabols le Riche, director of Brukkaros Skins.
Almost 100 per cent of the final product is exported to customers in Italy. It is difficult to operate a tannery in Namibia, said Dr. Le Riche.
Although a total of 40 000 skins are exported monthly, a 15 per cent levy on the export of pickled skins is a major contributing factor that renders any local tannery less competitive on the buying side.
The project promoters have invested N$6 million to convert the tannery from an ostrich tanning entity to a sheep and goat facility while the Development Bank of Namibia provided an additional N$6 million as working capital.
The DBN said that they saw this as a good opportunity to create jobs in the south and to add value to Namibia’s exports.
“The business is strong and they have very skilled management. This aspect coupled with a strong network of partnerships internationally significantly contributes to its viability,” says the manager corporate communications at DBN, ms Joy Sasman.
Although Brukkaros Skins buys raw products from all over Namibia, the biggest supply comes from Keetmanshoop and surrounding areas.
According to Dr. Le Riche the tannery provides a very high quality of sheepskin. The sheepskin pickle industry is a very specialised industry with an excellent product that is in high demand in Italy. Because of changing fashions the tannery can only process a skin as far as the pickle stage. Fashion houses contract tanneries in Italy to process the skin further according to their needs.
A skin will go through quite a few different processes before it reaches the final local stage after which it is exported.
The first process is one of soaking that takes a full day and makes the skin soft and workable. Skins are then treated with special chemicals that allow the wool to easily part from the rest of the skin.
This process is done by hand and involves intensive labour. Hereafter skins enter the liming phase that will take another day after which it is fleshed in order to get rid of excess tissue.
Only then will a skin be suitable to enter the final stage of pickling. The latter is an advanced, processed sheepskin that is ready for transformation into the final leather product. Thereafter export skins are graded into different grades that will determine the final selling price.
Brukkaros Skins processes sheep skins into a final pickle stage. The tannery buys raw skins from small stock abattoirs and farmers across Namibia and the final product is exported to Europe.
The current production capacity of Brukkaros Skins is 4 500 skins per day. At the moment just 50 per cent of the capacity is being utilised because of the low season and intense competition from South Africa.
“We are ready to process all available sheep skins in the country. Unfortunately a certain percentage of sheep skins still leaves Namibia raw because of fierce competition from South African companies on the procurement side,” said Dr. Kabols le Riche, director of Brukkaros Skins.
Almost 100 per cent of the final product is exported to customers in Italy. It is difficult to operate a tannery in Namibia, said Dr. Le Riche.
Although a total of 40 000 skins are exported monthly, a 15 per cent levy on the export of pickled skins is a major contributing factor that renders any local tannery less competitive on the buying side.
The project promoters have invested N$6 million to convert the tannery from an ostrich tanning entity to a sheep and goat facility while the Development Bank of Namibia provided an additional N$6 million as working capital.
The DBN said that they saw this as a good opportunity to create jobs in the south and to add value to Namibia’s exports.
“The business is strong and they have very skilled management. This aspect coupled with a strong network of partnerships internationally significantly contributes to its viability,” says the manager corporate communications at DBN, ms Joy Sasman.
Although Brukkaros Skins buys raw products from all over Namibia, the biggest supply comes from Keetmanshoop and surrounding areas.
According to Dr. Le Riche the tannery provides a very high quality of sheepskin. The sheepskin pickle industry is a very specialised industry with an excellent product that is in high demand in Italy. Because of changing fashions the tannery can only process a skin as far as the pickle stage. Fashion houses contract tanneries in Italy to process the skin further according to their needs.
A skin will go through quite a few different processes before it reaches the final local stage after which it is exported.
The first process is one of soaking that takes a full day and makes the skin soft and workable. Skins are then treated with special chemicals that allow the wool to easily part from the rest of the skin.
This process is done by hand and involves intensive labour. Hereafter skins enter the liming phase that will take another day after which it is fleshed in order to get rid of excess tissue.
Only then will a skin be suitable to enter the final stage of pickling. The latter is an advanced, processed sheepskin that is ready for transformation into the final leather product. Thereafter export skins are graded into different grades that will determine the final selling price.
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