Rural Tannery

Abstract

Even today leather made by tanners in the village areas are based on'very old! and undeveloped processes like bag tanning and pit-poovers. Despite working' 'through out the year, these workers earn very little. If they were provided with. scientific tools and equipments as well as techniques, then many families ',engaged in this business would start having a better standard of living. There are a large number of cattle heads in Laos, which are reared for their meat. These lare concentrated mainly in the southern part of Laos. Neighboring Thailand has lbecorne a sourcing hub for large multinational in the leather industry. There is a; '. . 'potential for Laos also to significantly export tanned leather as well as value added leather. For this it is necessary that tanneries with environmentally friendly technology be set up in the villages. It is also necessary to improve the slaughter process to ensure that it is done humanely and also to ensure that Iyield of hide is optimized. Over and above this, hide from goat and other animals .also needs to be extracted. Since skins and hides have very little life unless:

tanned, it is necessary that tanneries are set up at the source. It is also: mecessarv to organize the butcheries and abattoirs in Laos so that these i tanneries get enough raw materials to run the business economically.