Africa Leather and Leather Products Institute (ALLPI)

Country:	Rwanda

Country Information
Country Size :	26,338 sq km
Population:	11.7 (2012 est.)
Currency:	Rwandan franc(RWF)
Languages:	Kinyarwanda (official), English (official), French (official), Kiswahili used in commercial centres and by the Army
Capital City:	Kigali
GDP(US$):	$13.46 billion
Economy-Overview:	Rwanda is a rural country with about 90% of the population engaged in (mainly subsistence) agriculture. It is the most densely populated country in Africa and is landlocked with few natural resources and minimal industry. Primary foreign exchange earners are coffee and tea. Rwanda has made substantial progress in stabilizing and rehabilitating its economy to pre-1994 levels, although poverty levels are higher now. GDP has rebounded and inflation has been curbed. Despite Rwanda's fertile ecosystem, food production often does not keep pace with population growth, requiring food imports. Rwanda continues to receive substantial aid money and received IMF-World Bank Heavily Indebted Poor Country (HIPC) initiative debt relief in 2005.
Main Economic Sectors:	Agricultural sector contributes 44 percent of GDP and 70 percent of exports, cement, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles, cigarettes.
Main Exports:	Coffee, tea, hides, tin ore
Main Imports:	Foodstuffs, machinery and equipment, steel, petroleum products, cement and construction material
Main Industries:	Cement, small-scale beverages, soap, furniture, shoes, plastic goods, textiles and cigarettes
Natural Resources
International Organization Membership:	ACCT, ACP, AfDB, AU, CEPGL, COMESA, FAO, G-77, IBRD, ICAO, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO (correspondent), ITU, MIGA, NAM, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UNMIS, UPU, WCL, WCO, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WToO, WTO
Infrastructure:	Airports - with paved runways: Total: 4 over 3,047 m: 1 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 1 (2005 est.) Airports - with unpaved runways: total: 5 914 to 1,523 m: 2 under 914 m: 3 (2005 est.) Roadways:total: 12,000 km paved: 996 km unpaved: 11,004 km (1999 est.) Waterways: Lake Kivu navigable by shallow-draft barges and native craft (2004) Ports and terminals: Cyangugu, Gisenyi, Kibuye Telephones - main lines in use:23,200 (2002) § The telephone system primarily serves business and government. The capital, Kigali, is connected to the centres of the provinces by microwave radio relay and, recently, by cellular telephone service; much of the network depends on wire and HF radiotelephone international: country code - 250; international connections employ microwave radio relay to neighbouring countries and satellite communications to more distant countries; satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) in Kigali (includes telex and telefax service) Telephones - mobile cellular: 134,000 § Rwanda has mobile cellular service between Kigali and several provincial capitals (2003)
Other:
Livestock Information
Cattle Population :	1.9 million
Sheep Population:	0.55 million
Goat Population:	2.03 million
Camel Population:	None
Other Populations:	Pig: 326,652; Poultry: 2,841,399; Rabbits: 520,057
Cattle Off take Rates:	14%
Sheep Off rake Rates:	27%
Goat Off take Rates:	27%
Camel Off take Rates:	NA
Livestock Policy:	-Create supportive infrastructure -Policy frame work for enhancing the growth of national livestock resources. -Launch census and quality and quantity enhancement programs. -Promote and support investment in animal husbandry, etc. -Create sustainable supply chain -Promote and support involvement of women and the youth in trading in hides and skins. -Provide access to finance for business in this sector. -Establish standard for hides and skins and enforce. -Create network of collection sites and transportation network, etc
Slaughter Facilities:	3 industrial, 36 semi-industrial and 349 rural slabs
Hides and Skins
Quantity Hides:	140,521 pieces
Quantity Sheep:	126,894 pieces
Quantity Goat:	341,270 pieces
Annual Collection Level Hides:	80%
Annual Collection Level Sheep:	65%
Annual Collection Level Goat:	65%
Flaying methods:	Machine and Hand flaying for hides. Pulling for skins.
Preservation Methods:	Salting and air/wire drying.
Grading Systems, Available Grades and Percentage of each:	NA
Hides and Skins trade channels:	Butchers - Buyers – Dealers - Tanneries
Market(%):	NA
Annual Export Value(US$):	NA
Average Market Bovine Price:	NA
Average Market Sheep Price:	NA
Average Market Goat Price:	NA
Tanning
Number of Tanneries:	1
Installed Tanning Capacity:	Wet blue: 4,000 skin and 200 hides per day Finished leather: 1120 Sq ft skins and 560 Sq ft hide
Tanneries in Operation:	1
Utilized Capacity:	100%
Output of the Industry:	Wet blue: 3000 skin and 150 hides per day Finished leather: 1120 Sq ft skins and 560 Sq ft hides
Number of Employees:	75
Market (%):	NA
Estimated Annual Export Value:	1.5 Million (2005 est.)
Footwear
Number of Footwear Factories:
In Operation:
Manufacturing Capacity:
Number of Employees:
Market (%):
Estimated Annual Export(US$):
Leather Goods
Number of Leather Goods and Garment Factories:
In Production:
Manufacturing Capacity:
Number of Employees:
Market (%):
Estimated Annual Export Value(US$):
SWOT Analysis
Strengths:	.Animals not used for farming; have relatively less pre-mortem defects. .40% of the slaughtering done in abattoirs; enables quick raw stock delivery to tanneries and monitoring flow. .Relatively less other pre-mortem defects; no branding of animals; relatively easier to control .All areas known to be important sources of raw stock easily accessible for mobilization. .Inherently thicker hides and skins allow splitting, unit cost reduction and innovative production .Thick goat skins with smooth grains make them preferable over others especially for footwear and leather goods. .Existence of a large number of artisans working in leather goods sector; a sound basis for future development of SMEs. .Political will and commitment to develop the sector .The presence of a sectoral association which can be used as a tool to galvanize joint efforts between the PS and the government.
Weaknesses:	.Lack of appropriate market structure and policy framework that delivers raw stock to tanneries. .Lack of the necessary skills in flaying, curing, storing and transporting raw stock causing substantial post mortem defects. .Weak or non-existence of an organized leather goods industry of any level to integrate with the only tannery in the country. .Absence of or difficulty in accessing finance to support the development of SMEs in the sector. .Lack or absence of a marketing framework that can supply machinery and components to the SMEs that engage in this area. .Absence of a distribution network that would relieve artisans producing goods to stock and ensure smooth engagement in production of finished goods. .Lack of institutional framework to stop illegal purchase of raw stock and shipping it to neighbouring countries .Only one tannery lacking in requisite equipments and proper effluent treatment facilities. .Tannery misplaced in the centre of the city which will require substantial investment in waste treatment as a compliance to GMP.
Opportunities:	.Ideal location in the centre of regional markets with appreciable disposable income having no better leather sector. .Existence of known demand in the regional markets for special products like military boots .Further supply of raw materials from neighbouring countries once attractive marketing instruments and thriving industry emerges here. .Regional integration providing access to bigger market. .Country potentially a tourist destination which can create considerable market for SMEs engaged in production of leather goods .Presence of unique ecological attributes that can be used for branding products with exclusivity. .Possibility of accessing international T/A for efforts to enhance the leather sector in association of the country's poverty alleviation strategy.
Threats:	.A beginner in a mature and competitive market requiring extremely specialized and well integrated infrastructure .Existence of traditional cross boarder trade in which raw stock bought on the local leaves the country through formal and informal arrangements. .Land locked country; unreliable transportation facilities and high cost when available for moving goods and services to port areas. .Reliance on foreign sourcing of skilled manpower and absence of reliable technology vendors. .Challenges of image building post 1994 war. .Existence of a large second hand shoes market at formal and informal level.

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Rwanda

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Prof. (Dr5) Mwinyikione Mwinyihija, Former Executive Director of ALLPI (2013-2022)

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