Luxe Brand Hermès Has Bought 376 Acres Of NT Farmland To Turn Into A Massive Crocodile Farm

Hermes Crocodile Bag Farm

Luxury French brand Hermès has purchased 376 hectares of farmland in the Northern Territory for approximately $7.25 million, with aims to transform it into a large-scale saltwater crocodile farm for the skinning and consumption of crocs.

In purchasing the Sweet Life farms near Lambells Lagoon, Hermès aims to eventually house 50,000 saltwater crocodiles for the purpose of skinning into luxury bags, or selling off meat for consumption. It is projected that in carrying out their pretty gross croc farming plan, the Northern Territory’s rate of crocodile farming will increase by 50%.

According to the ABC Rural, only 30 people will be employed on the farm at any one time, with 4,000 crocodiles projected for the second year of farming, and over 50,000 for the fifth year. This plan is projected to cost Hermès over $40 million.

The crocodiles that are skinned will be turned into ‘luxury’ bags that can cost over $US30,000, which is a lot of fucking money for anything, albeit a skinned croc from the NT.

Edward Berthelot Crocodile Bag HermesCrocodile Leather Hermès Bag, Getty Images: Edward Berthelot

Vintage resells of the ‘luxury’ bags can cost anywhere between a cheap $AUD40,000 and a rather bargain $AUD60,000, which is truly a steal.

It’s important to note that Hermès will tell you if the bag is crocodile pattern or skin if you look closely on bag descriptions, but the fact you even have to check is something else.

Hermes Bag

“They are harvesting eggs in the NT, raising those crocodiles on their own farms, to their own standard — and that standard has to be incredibly high, with no damage to the skin at all… to produce a product for high-quality fashion,” crocodile farming consultant Geoff McClure told the ABC.

“We are talking here about handbags that are worth $US20,000 to $US30,000.”

Currently, Hermès and Louis Vuitton own a majority of the crocodile farms in the NT, which first began around 2010, as the two brands tried to out-buy each other to secure the most croc farming land for themselves. Big companies fighting over land, are we truly surprised?

Needless to say, the entire plan is a pretty disgusting bid to continue the mass-production of ‘luxury’ items that are truly not a necessity to daily living, but a representation of our lust for excess.

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