The government plans to add 10,000 hectares to Rwanda’s coffee-growing land over the next three years as it seeks to increase production, improve quality and strengthen the crop’s contribution to the national economy.

The expansion will be implemented through the crop intensification programme, with a particular focus on the Kivu Belt in the Western Province, including Nyamasheke and Rutsiro districts.

Agriculture and Animal Resources Minister Telesphore Ndabamenye said the government would also expand coffee plantations in Eastern Province and encourage individual farmers to expand coffee production and cultivate the crop on consolidated land, commonly known as blocks.

"We want to increase the area under coffee cultivation. In the next three years, we plan to add 10,000 hectares through the crop intensification programme,” Ndabamenye said.

"We will focus on areas around the Kivu Belt, including Nyamasheke and Rutsiro, while also identifying more land for coffee production in other parts of the country. Increasing the area under coffee is a priority if we are to raise both the quantity and quality of exports.”

Rwanda has made progress in coffee production and exports in recent years. According to the minister, annual coffee exports increased from 22,000 tonnes to 28,000 tonnes over the past five years.

However, officials say expanding the area under cultivation must go hand in hand with the replacement of ageing trees, improved farming practices and the introduction of new coffee varieties.

New varieties

Rwanda largely relies on Arabica coffee, which has been grown in the country for more than 50 years. While the variety has helped build Rwanda’s reputation as a producer of high-quality coffee, officials say continued research and diversification are needed to improve productivity and adapt production to different growing conditions.

The Rwanda Agriculture and Animal Resources Development Board and the National Agricultural Export Development Board are working with farmers to test six new varieties.

"We need to improve the varieties we grow,” Ndabamenye said. "We are working with RAB, NAEB and farmers to obtain seeds that can replace old trees and are suitable for the soils and climatic conditions of different regions.”

The new varieties are being tested and gradually distributed to farmers, he added.

The minister also stressed the need to change farmers’ approach to coffee production, particularly in relation to planting, fertiliser application and the management of coffee trees while they are still on farms.

"We need to change our mindset on how coffee is managed at farm level. We need to improve how farmers plant coffee, apply fertilisers and care for the crop to ensure better production,” he said.

The replacement of old trees is another priority. Officials say coffee trees become less productive as they age, affecting both the volume and quality of the harvest.

Farmers welcome the move

Esther Uwimana, owner of Cyeza Coffee Washing Station in Muhanga District, welcomed the government’s plan to expand coffee-growing areas, saying washing stations need a steady supply of coffee cherries to operate at full capacity, add value and increase the volume of coffee available for export.

"As coffee producers, access to more coffee cherries would enable us to increase both the quality and quantity of our output. We need more farmers to supply us with high-quality produce so that we can contribute to boosting Rwanda’s coffee exports,” she said.

The government’s current strategy 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.

It also seeks to increase the average export price of Rwandan coffee from about $6.2 per kilogramme to $12 per kilogramme by expanding specialty and premium coffee production and developing more value-added coffee products.

According to NAEB, Rwanda exported 23,860 tonnes of green coffee in 2025, earning more than $148.6 million. This compares with 17,142 tonnes worth nearly $90 million in 2024.

Export volumes rose by 39 per cent year-on-year, while revenues increased by 65 per cent. The average export price grew by 19 per cent to $6.2 per kilogramme.