Ostrich Production Namibia turns to sheepskin tanning

KEETMANSHOOP – Ostrich Production Namibia (OPN) has finished the tanning of the first batch of 1 500 prickled sheep pelts on Monday.

OPN is an ostrich slaughtering and processing plant. The company’s managing Director Frikkie Mouton told Nampa in an interview on Monday that he was very excited about the new venture.OPN had to diversify its operations due to a lack of enough supply of ostriches both from commercial and communal ostrich farmers that has in turn affected the financial situation of the company negatively.Currently, the slaughtering and processing plant is being expanded and reconstructed to accommodate the slaughter of sheep, goats and game such as springbok.Mouton noted that OPN plans to tan about 1 500 sheepskins for the first six months.The total would then be increased to about 3 000 as soon as the employees master the skills of sheepskin tanning sufficiently.The MD said that all processed pelts would initially be exported to South Africa only.However, the company would enter the international market once it is satisfied that it is producing world-class standard pelts, Mouton noted.He added that the processing of goatskins would also be introduced at a later stage.OPN gets its pelts from the Mariental Abattoir at present.The company would enter into an agreement with an agent in the future that would buy pelts from farmers and resell to OPN.Meanwhile, Mouton noted that the slaughtering of small livestock and game is expected to commence towards the end of July this year.-NampaThe company’s managing Director Frikkie Mouton told Nampa in an interview on Monday that he was very excited about the new venture.OPN had to diversify its operations due to a lack of enough supply of ostriches both from commercial and communal ostrich farmers that has in turn affected the financial situation of the company negatively.Currently, the slaughtering and processing plant is being expanded and reconstructed to accommodate the slaughter of sheep, goats and game such as springbok.Mouton noted that OPN plans to tan about 1 500 sheepskins for the first six months.The total would then be increased to about 3 000 as soon as the employees master the skills of sheepskin tanning sufficiently.The MD said that all processed pelts would initially be exported to South Africa only.However, the company would enter the international market once it is satisfied that it is producing world-class standard pelts, Mouton noted.He added that the processing of goatskins would also be introduced at a later stage.OPN gets its pelts from the Mariental Abattoir at present.The company would enter into an agreement with an agent in the future that would buy pelts from farmers and resell to OPN.Meanwhile, Mouton noted that the slaughtering of small livestock and game is expected to commence towards the end of July this year.-Nampa