Rwanda plans to expand its coffee-growing area by 10,000 hectares within three years as part of efforts to increase production, improve quality and generate more export revenue.
The additional plantations will be established through the government’s crop intensification programme. Priority will be given to the Kivu Belt in Western Province, particularly Nyamasheke and Rutsiro districts.
Coffee cultivation will also be expanded in Eastern Province and other suitable parts of the country. Individual farmers will be encouraged to increase production, including by growing coffee on consolidated farmland commonly known as blocks.
Agriculture and Animal Resources Minister Dr Telesphore Ndabamenye said increasing the amount of land devoted to coffee was necessary to raise both production and export quality.
“In the next three years, we plan to add 10,000 hectares through the crop intensification programme,” Ndabamenye said.
Figures previously published by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) indicate that Rwanda currently has about 42,229 hectares of coffee plantations.
According to Ndabamenye, annual coffee exports have increased from approximately 22,000 tonnes to nearly 28,000 tonnes over the past five years.
However, the government says expanding plantations must be accompanied by the replacement of ageing trees, improved cultivation practices and the introduction of varieties suited to different soils and climatic conditions.
Nearly 30 per cent of Rwanda’s coffee trees are more than 30 years old and have passed their most productive stage.
The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB) and NAEB are working with farmers to test six new coffee varieties. The varieties are expected to replace ageing trees, increase yields and strengthen the crop’s resilience to changing climatic conditions.
Rwanda primarily produces Arabica coffee, which has been cultivated in the country for more than 50 years and has helped establish its reputation in the international specialty-coffee market.
Ndabamenye also called for better farm-level management, including proper planting, fertiliser application and regular care of coffee trees.
Esther Uwimana, the owner of Cyeza Coffee Washing Station in Muhanga District, welcomed the planned expansion.
She said increasing the supply of high-quality coffee cherries would help washing stations operate closer to full capacity, improve processing and raise the quantity and quality of coffee available for export.
Under the government’s current strategy, Rwanda aims to increase annual coffee production to 48,000 tonnes and generate as much as $300 million in yearly revenue from the crop over the next five years.
The strategy also seeks to increase the average export price from about $6.20 to $12 per kilogramme by expanding specialty and premium coffee production and developing more value-added products.
Rwanda exported 23,860 tonnes of green coffee worth more than $148.6 million in 2025, according to NAEB.
That was an increase from 17,142 tonnes valued at nearly $90 million in 2024. Export volumes grew by 39 per cent, while revenue increased by 65 per cent and the average export price rose by 19 per cent to $6.20 per kilogramme.
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