VietNamNet Bridge - A set of raw python skin priced at $100 is used to make commercial products worth up to $6,160.

Dr. Vo Dinh Son, a python researcher, said each year Vietnam exports 64,000 sets of skin of Python reticulatus and 100,000 sets of skins of Python molurus, accounting for about 30% of the world market. Vietnam is also the only country exporting skin of pythons for commercial purposes.

Python farms are mainly located in Ho Chi Minh City and the Mekong Delta because the soil conditions, climate and food in this area are suitable for large-scale python farming. It is estimated that Vietnamese farms have over 200,000 pythons.

The Forest Protection Department of HCM City said there are about 20 python farms in Cu Chi district, with around 25,000 pythons of all species, including 20,000 commercial pythons.

Most of the large python farms are in the Mekong Delta province; however, the export of python skin of many farms rely on businesses in HCM City.

The largest market for Vietnamese python skins is China. Chinese traders visit Vietnam to buy python, slaughter python on the spot to collect the skin, gall and bones and sell the meat and fat to locals.

The owner of a python farm in Bac Lieu province said 1kg of python is priced VND150,000-VND180,000. However, the most valuable item is the skin. A 20kg python has a 3m long skin, worth VND1-VND2 million/meter ($50-$100).

According to experts, the average price for a set of raw python skin is about $100. After preliminary processing, the price is $110 dollars, $220 after being tanned and up to $6,160/meter for commercial products.

“Singapore imports raw python skin from Vietnam and other countries in the region, then processed into finished products and sells to leading fashion groups in the world, earning huge profits," said Dr. Ngo Van Tri, from the Tropical Biology Institute.

Vietnam has bred python since the 80s, but the country still only exports raw skin.