The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) has announced that Rwanda’s agricultural and livestock products generated more than $1.1 billion in export revenues during the 2025/2026 financial year, representing a 24.3% increase compared to the previous year.
Agricultural and livestock exports generated $839.21 million in 2023/2024, rising to $893 million in 2024/2025 before surpassing $1.1 billion in 2025/2026.
During the 2025/2026 financial year, coffee, tea and pyrethrum generated $264,884,174, while flowers, fruits and vegetables brought in $86,826,687. Livestock products generated $204,786,640, while other agricultural and livestock-related products generated $554,284,484.
Rwanda exports agricultural and livestock products to markets including the United Arab Emirates, Qatar, China and other countries in Asia, as well as the United States, Europe and various African countries.
NAEB Director General Claude Bizimana told IGIHE that the achievement demonstrates the efforts being made by the Rwandan Government to develop agricultural and livestock exports.
“Generating $1.1 billion for the first time in history demonstrates the efforts the country continues to make to develop the agricultural and livestock export sector and expand international markets,” Bizimana said.
The achievement comes as Rwanda seeks to increase the contribution of agriculture to national economic development by boosting production, developing infrastructure and systems that ensure the quality of exports, and meeting international standards, all aimed at expanding access to global markets.
Infrastructure as a pillar of sector development
Bizimana said surpassing $1.1 billion in export revenues has been achieved as the Rwandan Government continues to invest in infrastructure designed to help the sector overcome various challenges.
“Through NAEB, the Government of Rwanda has developed various infrastructure, including coffee and tea processing facilities and laboratories that test different agricultural products. These facilities help preserve the quality of produce before it is exported, as well as support sorting and storage,” he said.
Rwanda currently has a laboratory at NAEB that has received international accreditation, placing it at a level where the results of tests conducted there are internationally recognised.
There are also facilities for sorting and storing coffee, as well as facilities for processing and cold storage of fruits and vegetables.
Quality and traceability
Quality and traceability are among the key factors that international markets consider when purchasing agricultural and livestock products.
NAEB says systems have been established to ensure quality and enable international buyers to access information about products exported from Rwanda.
The Rwandan Government also supports the promotion of agricultural and livestock exports through international trade fairs held around the world and by connecting exporters with buyers through NAEB.
As part of efforts to promote innovation and expand markets, NAEB has also introduced the annual Best of Rwanda coffee competition. The country’s highest-quality coffees are sold through auctions, helping increase their value, expand markets and improve farmers’ earning potential.
NAEB also says that many of its services are now provided digitally, helping exporters speed up their business processes and access services more efficiently.
Increasing production and building farmers’ capacity
One of the strategies aimed at increasing foreign exchange earnings from agricultural and livestock exports is to ensure higher volumes of high-quality produce.
Bizimana said various programmes and projects have been introduced, including helping farmers access quality seedlings that are resilient to climate change, providing technical support and conducting awareness campaigns aimed at increasing production.
Rwanda continues to pursue the objectives of the Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) and the Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA5).
NAEB says it will continue working with all partners to increase foreign exchange earnings from agricultural and livestock exports and expand international markets.
Rwanda expects agricultural and livestock exports to generate $1.5 billion by 2029.
