Agriculture

Overview

Agriculture is a major economic sector for the people of Rwanda, employing about 64.5% of the total population. The industry contributes about 25% to GDP, and it stands out as one of the most strategic sectors in Rwanda’s development. It accounts for a more significant part of the foreign exchange earnings from the exports of products, including; coffee, tea, livestock products, cereals & grains, hides & skins, pyrethrum, and horticulture. 83.1% of Rwanda’s agricultural production comes from smallholder farmers.

About 61% of Rwandan soil is suitable for agriculture as the soils are fertile. The Government of Rwanda is tangibly committed to boosting the development of the country’s agri-sector. It has invested considerably in infrastructure, productivity & resilience, inclusive markets & Value addition, and innovation & extension while creating an Enabling Environment & Responsive Institutions for private sector investment. Meanwhile, investment opportunities exist in the following: Dairy, Poultry, Meat processing, Horticulture, Aquaculture, Mechanization, crop sourcing, blockchain, Agro-tourism, manufacturing of irrigation equipment, and cold chain logistics.

Investment Opportunities

FOOD PROCESSING
For domestic and international markets. staple foods with significant potential for growth include beans, rice, maize and potatoes.

HORTICULTURE
In the bid to boost the country’s exports, Rwanda presents enormous opportunities in the highly competitive commodities such as; French beans, peas, horticulture specialties – baby corn, chilli, mini leek, African eggplants, mushrooms and herbs – Exotic fruits growing, especially apples, bananas, passion fruits, avocados, as well as flower growing.

VALUE ADDITION
Washing and roasting opportunities as premium coffee harvests grow.

MECHANIZATION OPPORTUNITIES
Irrigation and sale of agricultural equipment for large- scale farming.

DISTRIBUTION AND COLD CHAIN
Need for improved infrastructure for export products.

POULTRY
Large-scale farms, slaughter houses and export of meat and feed mills.

MILK PROCESSING

Cold chain, processing of UHT milk, yogurt, cheese and butter.

Incentives for investors in the sector

Fiscal incentives offered:

  • Duty-free importation of all inputs
  • Tax exemption for agriculture equipment
  • 50% reduction in corporate income tax, if you are a registered investor exporting 50% of the turnover of products produced in Rwanda
  • 7-year tax holiday for export-oriented registered investment projects

Non-fiscal incentives:

  • One-stop center facilitation to registered investors
  • Aftercare services with a focal point person following up on your project

Contact Us

For any further details/information you may require, please contact: ipd@rdb.rw