Ratskin mattresses less than fantastic success

Press, 13 October 1983, Page 27

Ratskin mattresses less than fantastic success

NZPA Peking Chinese companies with visions of getting rich by exporting ratskin mattresses ended up with five million unused skins and two million yuan (about SNZI.3 million) in losses, the “People’s Daily” has reported. While criticising the muddled management, the Communist Party newspaper applauded the deaths of 11 million rats in the project. “Although the State lost some money, there were some positive results,” it said. Enumerating the damage caused by rats to human health, farm crops and industrial production, the newspaper added: “If rat meat was as delicious as fish, and ratskins as valuable as otters and lynx, people would rush to kill them.” Companies in north China’s Shanxi province began making the ratskin mattresses in late 1980 for the Provincial Native Pro-

duce and Animal By-Pro-ducts Corporation for export, the “People’s Daily” said. But the quality was poor, and “some foreign merchants quickly returned goods they had ordered after seeing samples,” it said. It said 79,000 mattresses were made and most had to be sold at prices lower than the original 42 yuan (about SNZ3I) each, although it did not say where or for how

much they were sold. More than 5 million skins went to waste, it added. “Since there was no market for ratskin mattresses and processing capabilities were poor, why did the Shanxi Native Produce and Animal By-Products Corporation allow so many to be bought?” the newspaper asked. Meanwhile, it expressed a hope that “scientists will develop uses for rats and turn refuse into treasures.”