The European Union (EU) funded Pakistan Leather Competitiveness Improvement Program (PLCIP) has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences (UVAS) in Lahore.
The purpose of the MoU is to improvement of hide collection practices for quality improvement. Usman Malik, Project Director PLCIP and Agha Saiddain, Chairman - Hide and Skin Improvement Sub-Committee, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA) and Professor Dr Zafar Iqbal, UVAS, signed the MoU. Bernard Francois, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan witnessed the MoU signing ceremony.
"The leather sector is an important sector in Pakistan due to its size on economic footprint, employment, and potential for value creation. In the wake of the current incentives given by the European Union which includes the GSP+ status for Pakistan, the value added leather sector needs to seize the opportunity and develop the sector further to become an even greater export earner for Pakistan" Mr. Bernard Francois, Head of Cooperation, Delegation of the European Union to Pakistan said at the MoU signing ceremony.
Speaking on the occasion, Professor Dr Talat Naseer Pasha said that UVAS is playing a pivotal role in development of livestock sector of Pakistan. In order to better meet the needs of the livestock sector, UVAS is offering specialised courses to ensure availability of skilled butchers for the meat sector.
UVAS has also established a centre of excellence for meat so that Pakistan can fulfil quality requirements of international markets. In regards with hides, UVAS has already worked with Pakistan Tanners Association which will act as the starting point for the work envisioned in the current MoU.
Usman H. Malik said that EU funded PLCIP is working for improved competitiveness of leather sector of Pakistan. For the implementation of the MoU, PLCIP Consortium will support UVAS in research and awareness rising among the butchers and hide aggregators to reduce the economic losses to hides and skins of animals in Pakistan and to preserve Qurbani Hides/ Skins.
The cooperation between PLCIP and UVAS will encompass areas such as preservation of hides on Eid-ul-Azha, damage control of hides during flaying and research on various anti-parasitic treatments of animals to reduce damage to hides and skins.
Agha Saiddain, Chairman Hide and Skin Improvement Sub-Committee, Pakistan Tanners Association (PTA), said that the leather sector of Pakistan is one of the largest export earners of Pakistan and hides are a precious resource in which Pakistan has competitive advantage due to the fact that Pakistan has 5th largest population of animal livestock. However he informed that almost 30% of the hides get damaged due to lack of education on part of butchers and hide aggregators. He hoped that the current MoU will help rectify the situation and offered complete support on part of PTA in the implementation of MoU.