Zim croc skin exports up 19%

LIVINGSTONE MARUFU

Zimbabwe’s crocodile exports expanded by nearly a fifth to 80 000 skins last year from 67 000 in 2020 due to the increase of crocodile production in the country.

At its peak, Zimbabwe traded over 100,000 crocodile skins a year but the operating environment and competition form the region is affecting the country.

According to a 2017 United Nations Environment Programme, over 2m crocodile skins are traded annually around the world, with Zimbabwe ranking as the world’s second-largest exporter of the reptile products after United States  of America.

“Nile crocodile production has increased to 113 063 crocodiles in 2020 from 98 800 in 2019 with crocodile skin exports increasing to 80 000 in 2021 from 67 000 skins in 2020,”  reads part of the latest government agriculture report.

The report said the total number of fish ponds increased by 18% to 6,988 in April 2022 from 5,634 in 2021.

“Production in the fish farming sub-sector is dominated by Nile Tilapia (99%) followed by Rainbow Trout (0.28%), while the other farmed species contribute a very small proportion (0.04% each) of the production levels,” reads part of the report.

In Zimbabwe’s northern Zambezi Valley, the Nile crocodile, Africa’s largest freshwater predator, lives in this hot and humid habitat.

Reptile farmers are calling for government reforms to allow them to keep their lead against regional competitors.

Key figures in the crocodile industry say more concrete reforms are required if the industry is to survive the competition.

Zimbabwe’s Nile crocodile products have dominated the market. However, other countries such as Zambia and Mozambique have entered the field over the past decade.

The increase of cheaper, high-quality leather worldwide has also raised the demand for superior products, increasing pressure of Zimbabwe’s producers to continue to improve their offerings.

“Market forces dictate price and price is based on quality. When there is an oversupply in the market, prices drop.

“Those farms that can produce regular supplies of high-quality skins are more likely to create a good name for themselves in the marketplace and survive, compared to those who cannot reach the stringent quality requirements of the buyers,” a top producer who preferred anonymity said.

Zimbabwe’s illiquid environment, high interest rates on loans and excessive duties on imported feed make it difficult to operate when compared with other countries in the region.