Ninety percent of animal hide produced in Iran are exported in raw form, which is known as ‘salambor’.
According to Chairman of Iran Tanners Association Ali Hassanzadeh, the export of 15 million sheepskins is worth $40 million, while the value grows to $200-210 million by processing the salambor into leather and further to $700-800 by producing leather products.
The export of salambor in the raw form comes amid shortage of chemicals needed to process the hide and lack of up-to-date machinery, IRIB News reported.
Many production units are operating below capacity.
According to the IRIB report, the production of 1,000 sheepskin creates seven jobs. If this volume is turned into leather, it can create 35-37 jobs, while 200 jobs could be created for making leather apparel.
Hassanzadeh said Iran has a share of 5% in global sheepskin exports and a 1% share in global cowhide exports.
He noted that Iran has an output of 22 million cowhide, 18 million sheepskin and 7 million goatskin per year.
“Of the 18 million sheepskin, which is turned into salambor and then exported, the country earns $45 million [annually],” he was quoted as saying by Mehr News Agency.
Tehran, Tabriz and Mashhad are the top cowhide production cities in Iran.
