Rwanda’s coffee industry actors are participating in the Specialty Coffee Expo 2023, as the country seeks to attract buyers through one of the largest coffee events in North America.

The event takes place from April 21-23, at the Oregon Convention Center in Portland, USA.

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According to a statement from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), this three-day event brings together coffee enthusiasts, industry professionals, and exhibitors from all over the world to showcase the latest advancements in the coffee industry.

For Rwanda, it is an opportunity to promote the visibility of the "Rwanda Coffee” brand, by showcasing its single-origin specialty coffees to American specialty coffee importers, roasters, and retailers, NAEB indicated. This, it said, will enable Rwanda to share its knowledge and experiences with similar industries in other countries.

Ten Rwandan coffee export companies are attending the event. They are Baho Coffee, Gihanga Coffee, Impexcor, Kivubelt Coffee Ltd, CAFERWA/Kivu Noir, Nyamurinda Coffee Growers, Question Coffee, Dukunde Kawa Musasa, Dalas Investment Ltd, and Storyline.

The main objective of the Rwandan delegates participating in this trade show, NAEB said, is to strengthen existing commercial ties while building new ones with potential buyers to accelerate the expansion of coffee exports and increase the revenue of the country&039;s coffee industry.

The Specialty Coffee Association, the organisation behind the expo, organised a full schedule of events that will provide participants a wealth of opportunities to network, learn, and engage with others in the industry. Rwanda's coffee industry has seen significant growth over the years, thanks to the government's efforts to promote coffee production and quality.

Rwanda’s coffee exports at a glance

Rwanda’s coffee export revenues increased by 34 percent to more than $105 million (about Rwf116 billion) in 2022, from more than $78.3 million in 2021, shows data from NAEB’s December 2022 report.

With this performance, the country has already surpassed the target to generate $95 million from coffee exports annually, by 2024.

The report indicated that the growth in revenue mainly resulted from good coffee prices in the international market which averaged $5.58 a kilo in 2022 or a rise of 31.2 percent from $4.48 a kilo in the previous year.

For volumes, there was a slight increase of 2 percent in the quantity of coffee the country exported, from 17,479 tonnes in 2021 to 17,848 tonnes in 2022, the report showed.

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According to NAEB, in the 2021/2022 fiscal year, Switzerland and the United Kingdom were the top importers, followed by the United States and Kenya.