Rwanda strives to revitalize coffee industry

RWANDA – National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) officials in Rwanda are advocating for the rehabilitation and replacement of aging coffee trees with new varieties, aiming to increase coffee yield per tree and bolster overall coffee production in the country. 

According to Faustin Kabasha, a coffee pest and disease control specialist at NAEB, rejuvenating coffee trees could substantially enhance yield, potentially increasing it to 7-10 kilograms per tree from the current 2 kilograms. 

Efforts to incentivize the replacement of old trees with new RAB C15 varieties have been underway, spearheaded by the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB). However, some farmers remain hesitant due to concerns over the time it takes for new varieties to mature. 

Anathalise Musengimana, a member of the Dukunde Kawa Musasa cooperative, explained that many farmers are reluctant to replace aging trees inherited from previous generations. 

Statistics indicate that a significant percentage of coffee trees in Rwanda are owned by farmers around 60 years old. The aging trees pose challenges to coffee processing factories, operating at lower capacities due to decreased productivity. 

Rejuvenating aging coffee trees is seen as crucial for boosting exports, especially as Rwanda’s production of export crops, including tea and coffee, experienced a decline in 2023. 

To address these challenges, NAEB has launched a US$62.89 million project aimed at enhancing smallholder farmers’ coffee and tea exports.  

The project involves rehabilitating plantation areas and providing support such as eco-friendly drying technologies and facilities at cooperative levels. 

Eric Kabayiza, the coordinator at NAEB, emphasized the project’s focus on subsistence farmers and market-oriented producers to improve productivity and export revenue. 

“We designed this project by looking at issues in export and giving preferential attention to subsistence farmers and vulnerable and market-oriented producers,” Eric said. 

Moreover, NAEB is working to address low productivity resulting from limited use of agricultural inputs and the impact of Covid-19, which hindered the importation of fertilizers. 

Sandrine Urujeni, Chief Operations Officer at NAEB, highlighted efforts to diversify coffee markets beyond Europe and America, aiming to include markets in China, UAE, and other regions. 

“Currently, only a small number of farmers understand the importance of purchasing fertilizer independently. What we supply is limited; we’re utilising only 40 per cent of the required fertilizer for the crop. We are raising awareness to encourage ownership,” Urujeni said. 

Rwanda’s coffee production ranges from 267, 000 to 420,000 bags per year (16 000 MT to 21000MT). The total area in coffee is currently 42,000 hectares grown and it is grown in most provinces in the country at an altitude less than 1900 m. 

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