RARDA should advise farmers on cattle export

The recent order by the Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority (RARDA) banning the export of cattle to the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) was done in good faith, but the timeframe does not favour cattle producers. The argument that Rwandan farmers should aim at adding value to their produce by exporting beef and other byproducts instead of live animals, makes business sense. But before banning the export of animals, RARDA should have given the farmers an alternative.