Evaluation of Factors and Defects Causing hide and Skin quality Deterioration along its value Chains in Central Highlands of Ethiopia

AbstractA study was conducted to evaluate the knowledge and practices of producers, collectors and processors on hide and skin quality manage-ments and associated risk factors and common defects on raw and processed hide and skins at export centers. Primary, secondary and visual assessments were used as data collection tools. The current study indicated that 77% of respondents were males and the rest were females. About 42% illiterate respondents were involved in the study. The respondent males (23.4%) and females (30.4%) kept cattle for multiple purposes. The female respondents (69.6%) utilized hide and skin for selling and the male respondents’ utilized for household consumption and selling. Education level significantly (P<0.05) influenced the utilization of hides and skins. The respondent farmers adopted sun drying method to preserve hide and skin. Few respondents (10.8%) adopted salting and 57.5% did not adopt any preser-vation practices. About 13.6% and 5.2% of female and male respondents rejected hide and skin due to quality downgrading. The study showed that sex, age and education level did not significantly (P>0.05) influence the rejection rate of hide and skin. The rate of rejection was higher in skin and hide originated from Wolo 46 (47.9%) followed by Gindeberet 38(39.6%), Addis Ababa 35 (36.5%) and Bonga 26 (27.1%). The odds of rate of rejection in skin and hide originated from Wolo were 2.046 times more likely than in skin and hide originated from Bonga with 95% CI = 0.881-4.752%. Hide and skin originated from Gindeberet were 1.546 times more likely than in skin and hide originated from Bonga areas. The rate of rejection was higher in skin and hide sized from small 35 (87.5%) medium 42 (35.9%), large 50 (32.3%) and extra-large 18(25.0%). Cockle, flaying cuts, pox lesion, branding, and machine induced were the major defects causing quality downgrading in export centers. This study implied that integrated efforts toward improved livestock husbandry and better health improvements are vital issues for production of better quality hide and skin.