KHUJAND, February 22, 2011, Asia-Plus -- The first leather-processing workshop will open in Sughd province in early March.

According to the Sughd energy and industry department, the workshop will operate in the Qairoqqum industrial zone.  “The enterprise will use domestic raw materials – cattle, sheep and goat skins,” said the source, “At first, 50 people will work with the workshop that is expected to process 200 skins per year.  In the future, they plan to increase the staff numbers to 100.”

At first, the enterprises is supposed to only process skins and sell them to domestic producers, but then, it will begin to produce purses, bags, belts and other leather goods, the source said.  He, however, refrained from naming the workshop owner.

According to him, two other leather-processing enterprises will be launched in northern Tajikistan.  They will be launched in the Sughd Free Economic Zones (FEZ), the source added.