Khartoum, April 9, 2026 (SUNA) – Minister of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Professor Ahmed Al-Tijani Al-Mansouri, underscored the importance of the hides and skins sector as a key contributor to the national economy and a vital source of foreign currency revenues. Speaking at a workshop on reducing wastage of sacrificial hides—organized by the ministry in cooperation with the Sudan News Agency (SUNA) on Thursday—the minister said the sector suffers from significant waste and neglect due to poor handling, suboptimal utilization, and weak coordination among relevant stakeholders. He noted that such inefficiencies deprive the state treasury of millions of dollars annually from a resource capable of significantly supporting the national economy, in addition to causing environmental challenges due to improper disposal. Al-Mansouri highlighted that the ministry’s strategic plan, which includes 40 projects under the “Government of Hope” program, allocates substantial focus to transforming hides from waste into strategic export commodities. This includes establishing markets for leather products, promoting value-added manufacturing instead of raw exports, and forming partnerships with international expertise houses and global fashion brands.He also pointed to coordination with the Ministry of Industry and Trade to rehabilitate meat and livestock product factories and advance the sector. The minister further noted that ongoing regional tensions in the Middle East have driven up meat prices due to rising shipping and insurance costs and difficulties importing from Latin America, urging exporters to seize the opportunity to fill supply gaps in regional markets. For his part, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Animal Resources and Fisheries, Ammar Al-Sheikh Idris, described the workshop as important, noting that hides remain an underutilized resource despite their economic value. He emphasised a strategic plan to modernize the sector through production and processing while avoiding raw exports. He stressed the importance of stronger coordination among relevant entities, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to position hides as a key economic resource, and pledged to implement the workshop’s recommendations. Meanwhile, Undersecretary of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, Awad Salam, affirmed commitment to coordination with relevant entities to support Sudan’s economic recovery, noting that the country is now facing an “economic war” that requires optimal utilization of available resources and avoidance of waste. He stressed the need for unified coordination among ministries to develop a shared vision for national economic advancement, in line with the comprehensive strategy of the “Government of Hope” led by Prime Minister Dr. Kamil Idris.Meanwhile, Director General of Animal Production Development at the ministry, Engineer Rehab Salah-Eddin, said the workshop forms part of broader efforts to address key issues affecting the livestock sector. She described hide wastage as a critical issue, stressing that the sector represents a major pillar of the national economy and contributes to value addition, job creation, and increased national income.BH/BH