DUSHANBE, April 28, 2011, Asia-Plus — Tajikistan has reportedly reduced unprocessed skin exports, gradually increasing skin processing capacities inside the country.
According to the Ministry of Energy and Industries (MoEI), the country’s unprocessed skin exports have fallen nearly 60 percent in a year to March 31 this year.
“In the first quarter of last year, Tajikistan exported unprocessed skins for nearly 1.1 million U.S. dollars, while over the first three months of this year, less than US$500,000 worth of unprocessed skins have been exported,” the source at a MoEI said.
He attributes reduction in unprocessed skin exports to construction of seven new skin-processing enterprises in the country. Introduction of these enterprises into operation has reportedly increased a total annual capacity of the country’s tanning industry to 2 million skins.
Besides, three other skin-processing enterprises are expected to be put into operation in the country before the end of this year – in Dushanbe, Khujand and Roudaki.
According to the statistical data from the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade (MEDT), local enterprises have processed more than 108,000 skins over the first quarter of this year, which is 148 percent more than in the same period last year.
