Black and white markings on their legs and large semi-circular rimmed horns that stretch over a metre long are part of the endemic Walia Ibex's signature look. The Walia can weigh over 100Kg and is a rare sight, mostly found in the highlands of the Semien Mountain range near places like Gonder in Amhara Regional State. This was the hometown of Alemayehu Simegn (PhD), owner of the first Ethiopian-owned leather tannery in the country. After this well-known mountain goat, he named his company; he was proud of his country, and the animal's beauty was an allegory for his craftsmanship.

The former farmer learned the craft from his father, who traded in goat and sheepskins. He would make the 700Km journey from Gonder to Addis Abeba on foot - carrying animal skins and hides to supply tanneries in the city and to take sought-after supplies back to his hometown from the capital. His journey to owning one of the country's biggest tanneries was not a short one, but his company, Wallia Leather & Leather Products Plc, still stands to this day, 60 years on. But not unlike the precious Walia Ibex, it's existence is critically endangered.

There have been many developments in the leather industry scene since Alemayehu ventured into the business, including the proliferation of tanneries and manufacturers engaged in the sector. Today there are 27 leather tanneries in the country, processing skins and hides to produce leather for both export and local consumption. Large-scale manufacturers of leather products like bags, shoes and gloves number 44. Simultaneously, around 1,000 medium and small enterprises are engaged in the industry, with most producing goods for the local market.

But, for the most part, the industry has so far not managed to maximise its gains by manufacturing value-added products. It remains producing mainly raw or, at best, semi-processed products for the export market. As of late, members of the industry sent out an SOS after sustaining heavy losses that have brought their industry to its knees. Distressed executives have presented a request letter to the prime minister's macroeconomic team with calls for support.

In the past 10 years alone, nearly 30 manufactures have either been neck-deep in unpaid loans or have gone under, according to data from the Ethiopian Leather Industries Development Association, which also includes the Skins & Hides Suppliers Association, a body with over 15,000 members.

Though it is brimming with potential, the challenges facing this industry are manifold. The country possesses the largest livestock population on the continent with over 123 million heads of cattle, sheep and goats. Unfortunately, quantity has long trumped quality.

Environmental factors, feed and overall living conditions of the livestock play a big role in the quality of their hides and skins, according to Hailekiros Debesay, deputy director at the Leather Industry Development Institute.

"The majority of problems in quality arise before the animals are slaughtered," he said. "It's hard to remove the skin of the cattle because of such problems."

From over 20 million livestock that are slaughtered each year, barely 10pc qualify for the three grades of proffered hide quality distinction. The remainder is considered sub-standard. Commercialisation solutions are desperately needed here as most hides and skins are sourced from people's backyards following major holidays celebrated in the country. The people that go through neighbourhoods collecting these hides carry them around far longer than they should without preservatives.

The diminished quality undoubtedly affects export earnings, explained the Deputy Director of the Institute, which has been supporting the industry for nearly two decades. It works on research and development, consulting, training and education.

The impact of the Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) gravely affected the industry's export earnings; amassing only 36pc of its intended goal in the last fiscal year at 73 million dollars. The dwindling forex earnings have left the tanneries cash-strapped for buying essential chemicals for leather processing through their own retention accounts. This has forced many to join the long queue for forex at banks.

Kangaroo Shoe Factory, a 30-year-old industry veteran, has been waiting for over a year now. The company, which specialises in leather shoes, used to get around 300,000 dollars every few months in the past, according to Yosef Behabtu, managing director of the company.

"We're now sourcing some materials locally at a much higher price," he said. Operating at 20pc of its production capacity, it imports nearly all raw materials aside from its leather from the outside market. Its minimal export to countries like Italy and Germany had helped it mitigate the dearth of forex, but COVID-19 took away that consolation.

"We used to purchase spare parts and tend to other immediate needs," said Yosef. "It has reached a concerning stage for us. The industry has also lost its priority status in forex allotment."

Raw materials for manufacturing industries and agricultural inputs such as fertiliser, pesticides, chemicals and seeds are now second to importers of medicine in the waiting list for forex.

Kangaroo catered largely to a local client base, but companies that focused on the local market have seen their earnings slashed by more than half. Ethio-Leather Industry Plc (ELICO), a state-owned turned private company, is a prime example.

Elico, which exports 60pc of its products, used to average around five million dollars a year in earnings but may have to settle for less than one million dollars this year, according to Abebe Teklu, managing director at ELICO, which operates with over 1,800 employees and has been privately owned for 25-plus years.

The pandemic is the culprit here, shutting down markets like Italy, India and China - the company's main export destinations.

"There were times when it used to generate up to seven million dollars annually," said Abebe. "But standing at the half-year point, we have had to reassess our expectations for this year."

The letter to the Prime Minister addressed these issues and more. The flooding of the local market with cheaper imported products, an agenda now more relevant than ever with the country set to join the World Trade Organisation (WTO), is another subject included in the call for assistance.