Excerpts from the report: This report has been prepared to help the hide and leather industry improve the competitive position of leather and increase returns to packers for hides. Returns to packers for cattle hides can be greater when shanks, bellies, and heads are removed prior to curing. New markets for portions trimmed from hides can increase returns. Currently, the tannery market price for cured bellies and heads is about 2 cents a pound. At this price, no share is left to pay the processing and marketing costs of the packer. An evaluation of alternative markets indicates that fresh hide trimmings have a value of about 2 cents a pound if they are converted into edible collagen, or rendered into feed and oil by a new process.