Limited capacity, strict rules weigh down meat export
Friday October 15 2021
Business activities in Rubavu town near the Border with DRC.Rwanda's cross-border trade with Burundi and the Democratic Republic of Congo has been severely affected, with knock-on effects on various aspects of lives of border communities. PHOTO | FILE
Rwanda’s meat exports have declined due to limited capacity to meet demand in the international markets.
According to the government figures, meat export has dropped to over 86 percent in the past two years.
The Naational Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) indicates that while in 2019/20 the country exported over 5,000 tonnes of meat, the quantity has dropped to around 1,000 in 2020/21.
The agency noted that revenues from meat exports have fallen to Rwf1.4 billion in 2020/21 from Rwf11.2 billion, which exports generated in previous year.
Bulk of meat was exported to neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, according to government data.
Besides the impact of coronavirus pandemic, players blamed the constantly changing standardisations on the international markets, which they said is difficult to meet.
“As the years go by, some countries consistently come up with their own strict guidelines. If, for instance, the foot-and-mouth disease reported in one of our neighbouring countries, our clients at international markets pose strict measures on meat imports coming from the entire region, which is sometimes unfair,” said Fred Kayitana, a meat exports.
“The second reason that exports in neighbouring countries drop is around the cost they meet at the border. Those who transport their meat exports through proper channels are costly. For example, when a car crosses the border to DR Congo pays over Rwf150,000 ($150) every time it crosses, regardless of how much you are ferrying, whether you are carrying one or two tons but what goes by on motorcycles and bicycles only pay Rwf2, 000 a day,” Kayitana added.
“You find that those who use proper channels in bulk can’t stand the stiff competition posed by those who use improper channels, yet they have come from the same place,” he added.
The report on the other hand paints a grim picture of the export of dairy products, which have dropped by 20 per cent in volumes, which have seen their revenues as well dropped to Rwf4.1billion ($4.05 million) in 2020 from Rwf 5.1billion recorded in the previous year.
Rwanda exports various dairy commodities ranging from butter, cheese, Yoghurt and Milk and cream among others. The report indicates that in June 2021, over 78.70 per cent of dairy products went to DR Congo; 15.68 per cent to South Sudan and 5.61 per cent to Tanzania.