Last month I gave you a condensed report of some points that had been on the table in Gramado, Brazil at the Unido Leather and Leather Products Industrial Panel. This month I promised we'd take a look at what has been proposed for a number of countries in Africa aiming to end all the misery on which so many papers have reported over the last decades.

Although the announcement was expected earlier,last September ELIA,the Ethiopian Leather Industries Association,announced that it will organise and host the All African Leather Fair in Addis Ababa from January 24-26, 2008,to be held in the huge brand new Millennium Addis Ababa Convention Centre close to the airport.

Kenya and Uganda have recently doubled their export duty on raw hides and skins and are presumably contemplating the introduction of an export duty on wet-blue in order to boost the value addition to their leather industry. Although tariffs are against everything that 'free trade' stands for I must admit that in certain cases tariffs are justified. Some countries need to protect themselves from being deprived of their natural resources.

This is Limeblast 100 and as things were looking in January I intended this to be the last and finish the series on the occasion of this anniversary with: 'and my name is...' In January it was the very first time in almost ten years of a wonderful relationship with my dearest and platonically beloved editor, that we had a serious difference of opinion which made me resign. We tripped over a pair of shoes as habitual readers of Limeblast can easily imagine.

Of course I am not beyond criticism and I invite readers to write and correct me where I am wrong or encourage me where I am presumed right. I would greatly welcome new ideas for Limeblasts.

Our bread and butter is the raw hide and skin and a number of factors influence their value. Except for a few people, everybody knows that the hide is a byproduct of the meat industry in more than 90% of cases.

Professional lobbies and associations are of extreme importance and I had some interesting conversations with the late Tony Mossop when he was president of the International Council of Tanners, an organisation we haven't heard much of in recent years. Anyway that is not what I want to write about. Let's go back to Africa, continent of unimaginable possibilities, if only it gets a fair chance. Instead it is ripped off on each and every occasion and mainly by a few of its own citizens.

Last year July's issue talked about the Chinese taking a serious interest in the African tanning industry. The first of such operations has now kicked off in Jinja, Uganda as Leather International reported. The tannery is said to operate some 34  drums measuring 3.5x3.5m and could process 40 tons of hides per day at full capacity, or an equivalent of some 2,000 hides.

That's the word Ron Sauer used in his letter to me published in the August/September issue reacting to the June Limeblast: 'More wasted Money'. His letter practically confirms all I have been saying over the years. And he knows! Worst of all his letter confirms that the money wasting organisations and the project factories shrug their shoulders and consider themselves untouchable. Nice title for a next Limeblast 'The Untouchables'.

Just as reported last year, the trend selection area itself was decidedly unimaginative in terms of presentation and layout. However, the exhibits displayed within made up for this. Dull grey walls and display units provided the backdrop for three ranges: Peace - pale and subdued shades from cream through to toffee brown: Passion - reds and red shades of brown plus a bit of black: and Life - pale and warm shades of brown with a hint of green. Next year's black is clearly brown! Emphasis was definitely on the natural: soft and aniline textures.

Although I firmly believe in globalisation and modernisation, until a short while ago I have always considered tannery automation something for the big industry in highly industrialised countries, for top quality products. I thought that automation was an expensive, sophisticated and difficult to use toy, impossible to run and maintain in developing countries. Looking a little bit further, I must admit that this position is rather short-sighted, and I have changed my opinion.

In October 2003 Unido Vienna promoted, sponsored and financed the construction and installation of an SFF at the Addis Ababa Abattoir in collaboration with the Ethiopian Tanners Association. Although little time was available for training and experimentation the installation was objectively a success. Such a success that the ETA organised a (Unido sponsored and financed) well attended workshop, and the abattoir in question, after seeing the SFF work for bovines, wanted to develop a baby SFF for sheep and goat on the spot.

After Western industrialists decided to abandon their homelands and seek their fortune in China to produce more volume and more cheaply and to supply the expanding consumer market, we are feeling the pinch in Western economies. We don't really have an efficient remedy, whereas China's economy is booming with double digit growth this year as it has during the past several years.

Last year I wrote a trilogy concerning the waste of money on development projects in the hide and skin trade that have no result other than creating and maintaining highly paid jobs. Several knowledgeable and highly reputed readers commented in my favour in an article in the November issue of Leather International. It is very difficult to get information about projects because when I write and ask for information people immediately go on the defensive. Smile! Evaluation reports are not made public.

In 2001, I had an idea to set up a trade website. The matter was discussed with ITC in Geneva, who liked the idea. Although ITC and myself agreed on the basic contents, we did not agree on the technical form this website should have. It practically came down to the fact that my approach was not using the latest in web publishing techniques, whereas the responsible person at ITC demanded this. As it turns out he was right and the result is a superb website, Leatherline, that allows surfers to access a variety of services.

First of all I'd like to wish all readers of Leather International and the readers of Limeblast a happy, healthy and prosperous 2006.

I am very well aware that Limeblast concentrates very much, maybe too much, on Africa and on development aid in our industry to Africa. Readers have observed that they appreciate reading about this but would like to have the same dirt dished out from other regions as well.