Horticulture takes off as firms scale up, exports surge

When Garden Fresh, a local firm, began exporting horticultural products in 2016, its sales were less than $1 million per year. Today, its annual export value has surpassed $3.5 million, according to the company. When the firm started exporting, it exported only 200 tonnes annually. This capacity has since grown five-fold to 1,000 tonnes per year. This expansion has created substantial growth in employment, with the company’s Managing Director Emmanuel Harerimana recalling that the company began with about 50 workers, the number that has since grown to 500. “This shows that there has been a significant growth,” he says, adding that they now supply French beans, chilli, broccoli, avocados, and passion fruits mainly to European and Gulf markets. ALSO READ: Rwanda’s horticulture exports generate $46m in 8 months The firm is one of the largest exporters of horticulture products in the country. ALSO READ: Govt eyes bigger air cargo fleet to meet rising horticulture export demand Garden Fresh’s growth is a typical example of how far the horticulture sector has evolved. Over the past decade, the sector has grown to become one of the country’s fastest-expanding agricultural export earners. According to the National Agricultural Exports Development Board (NAEB), horticulture export revenues rose from $5.8 million in 2015/16 to $86.2 million (approximately Rwf120 billion) in 2024/25, representing nearly a 15-fold increase. For instance, in 2022/23, the country exported 51,680 tonnes of vegetables worth $34.6 million. This increased to 61,990 tonnes in 2023/24, generating $42.3 million. The upward trend continued in 2024/25, with exports reaching 69,330 tonnes and earning $53.8 million, representing a 27 per cent increase in value compared to the previous year. ALSO READ: Horticulture: Rwanda’s new cash cow While tea and coffee remain the largest agricultural export commodities, horticulture, covering vegetables, fruits, and flowers, is growing faster. This growth supports the country’s efforts to diversify exports and strengthen foreign exchange earnings. Jesse Ratichek, Managing Partner at Kinvest, which produces and exports horticultural crops from the Gabiro Agribusiness Hub and surrounding areas, says Rwanda’s industry is “at an inflection point” with much of the required support now in place for rapid commercial expansion. The coming three to four years, he observes, will show whether this potential will be fully realised. “Kinvest invested in Rwandan horticulture because the climate is excellent and the general business and investment environment is favorable,” he notes, revealing that they have invested more than $10 million over the past two years. The company aims to export more than 300 tonnes per month by the third quarter of 2026. However, he underscores the need for an affordable and reliable route to market “for our produce,” which he describes as a big challenge. ALSO READ: How Rwanda’s coffee exports surged to nearly $120m in 2024/25 Drivers of growth Horticultural exports are surging on the back of major investments in production, logistics, and market access, according to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). The agency reports that output has risen as farmers adopt improved seeds, better crop management, and benefit from expanded irrigation schemes. Cold-chain infrastructure has also seen a dramatic upgrade, with national cold-storage capacity increasing from 40 tonnes per day in 2019 to 2,154 tonnes in 2024, while packhouse capacity has quadrupled and the fleet of refrigerated trucks has expanded from two to 28 over the same period. Market access initiatives, including subsidised freight, stronger export linkages, and additional cargo capacity to key destinations in Europe, the UK, the Middle East, and Africa, are further boosting growth. The government has also piloted sea shipments to Europe and Dubai using Controlled Atmosphere Container technology, according to Claude Bizimana, NAEB's Chief Executive Officer. “NAEB is also partnering with RwandAir to enhance the country’s air freight capacity and global market reach in a move meant to address challenges faced by agricultural exporters,” Bizimana says. Garden Fresh Managing Director Harerimana notes that the company’s growing output has benefited from government-led irrigation schemes and dedicated land allocations for agribusiness. These measures, he says, are enabling more stable and sustainable production, even during drought conditions. The firm currently operates on 185 hectares in Gabiro Agribusiness Hub – an expansive irrigation-led agricultural project in Eastern Province’s Nyagatare District – and 150 hectares in Kayonza District and Kagitumba (in Nyagatare) “Rwanda can produce throughout the year, which gives us a strong competitive advantage and continues to attract both investors and buyers,” Harerimana explains, highlighting the importance of the country’s irrigation schemes. Harerimana observed that the overall performance of the horticulture sector shows that Rwanda has become a significant player in regional and international markets. For Robert Rukundo, founder of Almond Green Farm and Chairperson of the Horticulture Exporters Association of Rwanda (HEAR), the latest export earnings reflect “positive momentum” in the sector. He attributes the growth to increased investment in irrigation systems and cold-chain infrastructure, as well as market facilitation efforts by NAEB and the Rwanda Development Board (RDB). Rukundo notes that Rwandan horticultural products are gaining recognition in regional and international markets for their quality, adding that there is strong potential for value addition, particularly in chilli and avocado. Devotha Mukaserire, Chairperson of the Rwanda Federation of Horticulture Cooperatives, observes that production has been rising as farmers embrace new technologies, improved seed varieties, and fertilisers. “The growth of the horticulture sector is evident. Production has increased, markets are available, and farmers are getting income,” she says. Mukaserire indicates that the sector is attracting more investors, new cold rooms have been established to safeguard fresh produce, and farmers are receiving training in proper handling to reduce post-harvest losses. Export destinations Rwanda exports vegetables, fruits, and flowers to markets in Africa, Europe, America, Asia, and Australia. Recent diversification efforts have opened new opportunities in the Middle East, India, and China, enabled in part by bilateral protocols that allow the export of chilli, stevia, and honey to the Chinese market. HEAR chairperson Robert Rukundo noted that despite the strong momentum, the horticulture sector still faces challenges. These include limited access to irrigation financing, gaps in technical knowledge among some producers that result in lower yields, high post-harvest losses, and insufficient investment in value addition, factors that constrain both earnings and product diversification. “Addressing these constraints is essential for improving productivity, reducing losses, and strengthening Rwanda’s position in export markets,” he notes. NAEB cites the Promoting Smallholder 'Agro-Export Competitiveness' project as one of the flagship initiatives driving sustainable growth in horticultural exports. The programme aims to integrate rural households into export-oriented value chains by enhancing their climate-resilient production capacity and market access, with a focus on avocado, mango, macadamia, and essential oil crops. Key interventions include developing 1,700 hectares of orchards, 500 hectares of macadamia, 800 hectares of avocado, 200 hectares of mango, and 200 hectares of essential oil crops, and improving rural infrastructure. This includes installing an avocado grading line and introducing new drying technologies. The project is being implemented across Nyamasheke, Rutsiro, Karongi, Rusizi, Huye, Nyanza, Rwamagana, and Bugesera districts. Another large-scale initiative, the Smart Food Value Chain Management project, targets the chilli and onion value chains with the goal of reducing post-harvest losses and raising smallholder incomes. Through its capacity-building component, the project trains farmers in pre- and post-harvest handling, cooperative management, processing-centre operations, quality control, and HACCP standards. Its infrastructure component includes the construction of a National Processing Centre in Kigali and four satellite post-harvest centres in Rulindo, Rubavu, Nyagatare, and Bugesera. The project also provides processing equipment and transport trucks while helping cooperatives develop sustainable business models for these facilities.

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Horticulture takes off as firms scale up, exports surge