Rwanda has earned a total of $158,538,598 million in revenue from exportation of agricultural products for the 2021/2022 fiscal year’s second quarter, according to a report from National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) released on February 1.

The revenues represent an increase of 39% in the months of October, November and December 2021, compared to the same period in 2020/2021 fiscal year, where revenues generated were $114,054,060.

According to the report, export revenues from traditional commodities such as coffee, tea and pyrethrum increased by 36% to $ 63 million from $ 46 million in 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Coffee exports increase

Coffee export revenues increased to $38 million in the second quarter of the fiscal year from $26 million registered during the same period last year.

This represents a 47 per cent increase in coffee exports which was attributed to 15.5% increment of coffee export volumes from and the good price at the international market, where the average price rose to $ 4.9 per Kg from $ 3.7 per Kg, compared to the 2020/2021 fiscal year’s second quarter.

Tea exports increase

Export revenues from tea sales increased by 25.5%, to $ 23 million from $ 18 million generated in the 2020/2021 fiscal year’s second quarter.

The increase of earnings is a result of 6.9% increment of tea export volumes to 7,634 metric tonnes from 7,140.9 metric tonnes, and the increase of average price at the international market where a kilogramme of tea increases from $3.10 to $ 2.65, compared to the same period in the 2020/2021 fiscal year.

Non-traditional commodities

Non-traditional commodities export revenues increased by 41% which is $ 94 million in revenues from $ 67 million in 2020/2021 fiscal year.

These include vegetable export revenues that increased by 3.3%, fruits increased by 34.6%, and flowers increased by 48.8%.

NAEB’s management said attributed the revamping of agricultural export sector developments to the efforts by the Government of Rwanda to contain the effects of Covid-19 pandemic which had hit businesses, export sector included, and the resumption of movements of people and a continued recovery of external demand.

"The management will continue to monitor the situation closely and commit to continuously work with and support all value-chain actors in the Rwandan agro-export sector to ensure meeting the quality standards required by international markets and making the sector even profitable” read a statement.