Coffee industry stakeholders have called on the government to intensify investment in coffee research, saying the country’s heavy reliance on a single Arabica variety is limiting productivity and the sector’s competitiveness on the global market. Oretse Baragahorana, Chairperson of the Coffee Exporters and Processors Association of Rwanda (CEPAR), said diversifying the varieties grown across the country is an urgent priority if Rwanda is to keep pace with competing coffee-producing countries. “Research is needed for us to keep pace with the world, both in terms of quantity and quality, because other countries are not standing still and we have to compete with them,” he said. ALSO READ: NAEB crowns top coffees at Best of Rwanda 2026, setting sights on higher export revenues “In Rwanda, we have one type of Arabica that we grow at 99 per cent, but other countries have more than 40 varieties. We therefore need more varieties that can compete with those of other countries,” Baragahorana said. Rwanda’s coffee industry has been built almost entirely around Arabica, which accounts for about 99 per cent of the coffee grown in the country, a practice that dates back to the earliest days of coffee cultivation. While the variety has helped Rwanda establish a reputation for high-quality coffee, Baragahorana said greater diversification is needed to sustain the sector’s growth ambitions. “We need research that could provide more coffee varieties suitable for different regions. This can help us increase productivity and competitiveness on the global market. The existing varieties are no longer sufficient to deliver the production levels needed,” he said. Baragahorana was speaking during the Best of Rwanda Coffee competition awards ceremony early last week. He also acknowledged the progress made by the industry, crediting the Best of Rwanda Coffee competition with helping showcase Rwandan coffee on the international market. However, he called on industrialists to move beyond reliance on smallholder farmers and play a greater role in modernising the coffee value chain. “Industrialists need to invest in coffee farming and participate in modernising coffee farmers rather than relying solely on them. As industrialists, we are ready to play our part in production support and marketing,” he said. He also renewed CEPAR’s call for increased government investment in the sector. “What we request from the government is to double the efforts it puts into coffee investment to support us,” he said. For farmers, the call for new varieties is not simply a policy issue but a matter that could directly affect their productivity and incomes. Theopiste Nyiramahoro, a coffee farmer from Kirehe District, said she has grown the same Arabica variety since she started farming coffee and would welcome alternatives. “Arabica coffee is the only one we grow, but we wish we could get more varieties which can help us choose what to grow depending on productivity. Besides, having more varieties would help us get better quality coffee, which we can sell on both local and international markets,” Nyiramahoro said. Six new varieties under development According to Telesphore Ndabamenye, the Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, the Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board (RAB), working with farmers and development partners, is already conducting research to diversify the country’s coffee varieties. “RAB, in partnership with farmers, has been conducting research on the next steps to ensure we multiply and diversify. It takes time, but we are working on it with other partners. We want to get more varieties to replace old trees, and varieties that are suitable to different areas,” he said. Ndabamenye said six new coffee varieties have already been developed and, if properly cultivated, could produce between five and seven tonnes per hectare, significantly higher than current productivity levels. However, he cautioned that introducing new varieties alone would not be enough to transform the sector. “Varieties will not be alone; we also need farmers to put in more effort to embrace modern coffee farming practices. What we want is to increase production by 50 per cent and ensure our quality remains at 100 per cent. We want to increase both quality and productivity,” he said. The minister said Rwanda’s diverse growing conditions, ranging from high-altitude mountain plantations to coffee-growing areas in flatter terrain, present both challenges and opportunities that further research could help unlock. “We have coffee from the mountains and coffee from flat areas. We need to keep working on research to achieve quality and variety. We need enough coffee that can be exported for Rwanda to remain competitive, both locally and internationally,” he said. He cited last year’s record auction price of $88 per kilogramme for Rwandan coffee as evidence of the potential of high-quality coffee, while stressing the need for more cooperatives to gain direct access to high-value international auctions. “We therefore need to modernise coffee farming,” he said. The push for research and diversification comes as the government continues to prioritise coffee as one of the country’s flagship export commodities. Officials say the sector has the potential to contribute significantly to the national economy while improving the livelihoods of hundreds of thousands of households that depend on coffee farming. Under its current strategy, the government aims to raise national coffee production to 48,000 metric tonnes and generate up to $300 million in annual revenues over the next five years. The government also plans to nearly double the average export price of Rwandan coffee, from about $6.2 per kilogramme to $12 per kilogramme, by accelerating the shift towards specialty and premium coffee, as well as expanding value-added coffee products. “Achieving this ambitious trajectory will require concerted efforts from all of us — farmers, processors, exporters, development partners, investors, and Government,” Ndabamenye said. “We want ‘Rwanda’ to be synonymous with coffee excellence, coffee that excites the palate, commands the highest prices, and carries a story of sustainability, traceability, and pride.” Record exports According to the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB), coffee export revenues reached a record nearly $150 million in 2025, driven by higher export volumes, rising international prices and continued investment in production and market expansion. Rwanda exported 23,860 tonnes of green coffee last year, earning more than $148.6 million, compared with 17,142 tonnes valued at just under $90 million in 2024. Export volumes grew by 39 per cent year-on-year, while revenues increased by 65 per cent. The average export price also rose by 19 per cent to $6.2 per kilogramme in 2025. Officials say the performance puts Rwanda on a strong trajectory towards its next milestone of exporting 32,000 tonnes of coffee and generating $192 million in export revenues by the end of the second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) in 2029.
