Khartoum, April 8, 2026 (SUNA) – Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Professor Ahmed Al-Tijani Al-Mansouri, underscored the importance of the hides and skins sector in supporting the national economy, describing it as a key resource for generating foreign currency revenues. Addressing a workshop on reducing wastage of sacrificial hides, organized by the ministry in cooperation with the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Thursday, the minister stated that the sector suffers from significant waste and neglect due to poor handling, suboptimal utilization, and insufficient coordination among relevant parties. He warned that this situation results in the loss of millions of dollars annually, depriving the state of a valuable economic resource, and also creates environmental challenges due to improper disposal. The minister highlighted that the ministry’s strategic plan—comprising 40 projects under the “Government of Hope” program—allocates significant focus to transforming hides from waste into strategic export products, establishing markets for leather goods, promoting value-added manufacturing instead of raw exports, and forming partnerships with international expertise houses and global fashion brands. He further pointed to coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to rehabilitate meat and livestock product factories and enhance the sector’s overall development. Al-Mansouri also noted that ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East have driven up meat prices due to higher shipping and insurance costs and difficulties importing from Latin America, calling for Sudan to seize this opportunity by facilitating exporters and filling supply gaps in regional markets.BH/BH