Annual report of the Veterinary Department, Sudan Government.

  • Sudan. Veterinary Department.
Date:
[1929]
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Annual report of the Veterinary Department, Sudan Government. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    20/46 (page 16)
    Hides. Towards the end of 1928 the demand for hides from abroad slackened and local prices consequently showed a downward trend, ft was hoped that this trade depression would prove to be of a temporary nature but unfortunately this hope was not realized. The market reports published by the Sudan Chamber of Commerce show that, early in 1929, the demand from abroad practically ceased and, during the year, the local prices fell from about £e. 68 per ton to about £e. 45 per ton—a decline in value of approximately 35 per cent. Reports from abroad stated that tanners were holding large stocks of tanned leather for which there was little or no demand and the stagnation of trade was attributed to the large percentage of substitutes for leather now used all over the world. In the writer’s opinion the cause of the depression should also be attributed to the large quantities of hides which were attracted to the world’s markets from remote territories as a result of the high prices obtaining in 1928. The following information in regard to the classification of 1,020 tons of hides exported during the year has been kindty supplied by the merchants who handled the consignments : — Number < of Total weight Percentage hides. Tons. by weight. i c Fasher flint-dried 79,834 597 58.5 Dry salted 16,467 214 21.0 Fashoda 51,958 209 20.5 Totae .. . . 1,020 100.0 The average prices offered for “Fashoda” hides in Omdurman market during the past four years wrere £e. 42.9 per ton in 1926, £e.60.5 in 1927, £e.82.7 in 1928 and £e. 48.2‘in 1929. The average weight of the hides exported during the year was 6.44 kilogrammes. The only imports of hides of any consequence were 612 camel loads from French Equatorial Africa as compared with 813 camel loads in 1928. Skins. The trade in skins was, as usual, somewhat depressed during the summer months but for the remainder of the year the demand from abroad wras good and prices were v’ell maintained. The average prices offered locally for sheep skins were P.T. 25 for selected slaughter-house skins and P.T. 17 for other qualities. The quantity of sheep skins exported was 859 tons and the average weight per skin worked out at 1.83 kilogrammes. The average prices of goat skins wrere 65 m/ms. for light weights and 88 m/ms. for heavy weights. The quantity of goat skins exported was 154 tons and the average weight per skin worked out at 0.64 kilogramme. The exports of skins for the year urere greater than those recorded in any previous year.