Model Program for Promoting Agro-industry Development
Project / Program Summary

The project is part of a regional programme to develop the leather and leather products industry in 10 African countries.

1. Objectives
   Establish a regional office for the programme operations; improve quality and grading of raw hides and skins and increase the quantities in selected target areas; enhance industrial development of the leather, footwear and leather products sector; heighten awareness at national and subregional levels of the importance of women's contribution in the sector; improve the region's institutional capacities for manpower resources development within the leather and allied industry sectors and to strengthen the industry's representation in institutionalized bodies.
2. Activities / contents
   Increased regional capability of machine maintenance and application of preventive maintenance of leather products manufacturing machinery; institutionalized "revolving fund operation" in all participating countries; establish and/or rehabilitate various plants in the region; assurance of well-informed government and private sector bodies and a set of guidelines/recommendations on the gender issue; creation of employment opportunities. Well-operating regional office complete with modern communication equipment; increased rates of collection of hides/skins at higher quality grades as specified in the national documents; an installed monitoring mechanism on hides and a publication on the natural properties of various types of raw material within the region for local & world market utilization; self-sustaining hides and skins improvement scheme, commercial-size fish skin leather goods, pilot plant to produce leather goods for tourist, domestic & export markets.
3. Expected outcomes / impacts
   Various private small and medium firms utilize a common center established under the programme to improve product designs and train their employees in quality enhancement. National Leather Associations were established and became operational in all the targeted countries. Good positive results were obtained in rehabilitation of tanneries, establishment of effluent treatment plants, rehabilitation of a number of footwear manufacturing plants and in the establishment of the Training & Production Centre for Shoe Industry at Thika, Kenya. Good results were also achieved in supporting female entrepreneurs, training of women and promoting women professionals.
4. Features in line with the Agenda for Action
   The Regional Africa leather and footwear industry programme is owned by the respective national leather associations of respective countries, promoting regional cooperation and capacity building to improve the competitiveness of the industry. The project also contributed in the advancement of women entreneurship and addressed environmental concerns through acquisition of new inputs for effluent treatment. A number of SMEs have recently been able to export to new markets in Europe and Asia.

Team Leather: Ms. A. Calabro, SES/AGR