Bulletin

The price slide continues uninterrupted, with the pricelists of ox and heifer hides lowered another US$2/hide since April on the whole range on offer. Cowhides on the other hand kept to the same US$22-23/level, with actual deals being closed in the region of US$18-20/hide.

Suppliers last week had plenty of hides on offer, with most weight and quality options being available. Prices that were quoted to Chinese tanners were above those obtained the previous weeks, with counter bids coming back from China well below the previous booked levels. 

The difficult conditions in the hide market continue in France. Little interest to buy from China or Italy, and the little there is, comes with low bids attached. 

As winter approaches, sales of ovine skins are very hard to make in pickle or wet-blue, and yet prices are no longer moving downwards. 

Poor trading is reported from Italy for those who supply raw hides to the tanneries, both by those selling directly into Italian tanneries and by those selling to Chinese tanners.

Nappa lambskins are reported to be firming up in price, with demand for these above the supply. Demand is particularly strong for top end articles such as shoe upper and leather goods. 

The European Commission agreed a €50 million exceptional aid fund for Irish beef farmers, to compensate for the market losses following the Brexit vote in the UK.

According to Rogelio Pérez, general director of the Mexican Association of Meat Exporters, in April Mexico broke the historical record of meat exports and beef and sub-products, marketing 22% more in volume than the January-April period last year. 

Most suppliers report that there has been no real improvement in the number of bids coming from the Far East tanners this week, over the number received last week, with last week in itself being a very poor week. 

Sometimes stories come in that are so odd, you just know they have to be true.