France is the world’s 3rd-largest exporter of unprocessed leather and the world’s largest producer of calf leather, which is the material most in demand within the leather industry.
At the present time, the industry is encountering supply problems with calf skins, due to declining meat consumption (down 4% per annum) and the prevalence of ringworm, which impairs the quality of hides and makes them unfit for processing into leather.
Just 10% of the hides purchased from French cattle breeders can be converted into high-quality leatheŕ. The available supply of raw material is becoming too small to satisfy the strong development of the international market.
A pilot experiment performed in 2012 showed that vaccination against ringworm will triple the output of first-choice calf skins. Taking this measure could thus increase the proportion of high-quality hides from 10% to 30% of total livestock.
Vaccination against ringworm also provides the animals with better living conditions by reducing the levels of stress they suffer in connection with itching.
Norway introduced compulsory vaccination in 1978 and has virtually eradicated ringworm from its country.
A special commission was set up in 2008, involving all players in the industry (from livestock breeders through tò distributors of finished products), to measure the impact of good practice in livestock rearing on the hide and skin production chain for calves, young cattle and lambs.
This led to the following recommendations: adapting livestock rearing practices to reduce the level of defects appearing on hides, better hygiene for premises holding animals, vaccination, treatment against parasites, and supervising the conditions under which cattle are transported and slaughtered.
It is estimated that a 30% improvement in quality can be achieved by applying these measures to calf skins.