Hide and skin quality is greatly affected by breed, age, sex, climate and husbandry. For example it was found in the USA in the 1970s that grain fed Hereford cattle could end up with vertical fibres which were OK for sole leather but with weak tensile strength for shoe uppers. Over the last 30 years the Ethiopian hairsheep has hugely declined in quality because of the eki insect damage to the grain. This can be easily treated to give a healthier, happier animal that gives more meat and a top quality skin but despite attempts at education the farmers still are not persuaded to do so.