Rwanda Aims to Export 24,500 Tons of Coffee in 2018

Rwanda Aims to Boost Coffee Exports in Both Volume and Quality

Rwanda's National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) has announced that the country is working to raise both the volume and the quality of its coffee exports, targeting 24,500 tons of exports for 2018.

Celestin Gatalayi, manager of NAEB's coffee department, said Rwanda exported 22,000 tons of coffee in 2016, rising to 23,000 tons in 2017, and that the growth trend would continue into 2018.

Gatalayi also revealed that by 2024, Rwanda plans to plant 34,000 new coffee trees; with proper fertilization and integrated pest management, production capacity is expected to double.

"We are working hard to strengthen control of a pest called the Antestia stink bug, which can affect up to 30% of the coffee if left unchecked. But since pesticides pollute the environment and harm biodiversity, we are seeking domestically produced, environmentally friendly alternatives. Once the quality of exported coffee improves, prices will rise accordingly," Gatalayi said.

The Economic Challenges Facing Rwandan Coffee Farmers

Alfred Bizoza, associate professor of agricultural economics at the University of Rwanda, explained that low prices have kept national coffee production depressed. Coffee cherries sell for just 177 Rwandan francs (about 1.3 yuan) per kilogram, while production input costs run as high as 300 Rwandan francs (about 2.3 yuan) per kilogram. Bizoza encourages farmers to join cooperatives and increase output — but so far only 14% of coffee-growing farmers have done so.

Research, Bizoza noted, shows that in 2015 cooperative growers harvested 1.5 kilograms of coffee per tree against 1.4 kilograms for non-members; by 2017 cooperative members were harvesting 2 kilograms per tree while non-members managed only 1.47 kilograms.

Isaac Nsabamahoro, a member of Rwanda's Dukunde Kawa cooperative, said farmers can now sell cherries for 240 Rwandan francs (about 1.8 yuan) per kilogram — still a loss-making price. To break even, cherries would need to fetch at least 280 Rwandan francs (about 2.1 yuan) per kilogram.

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FrontStreet Coffee Recommendation

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