Overview

Agriculture is a foundational driver of Rwanda’s economy, accounting for 25–27% of GDP and the largest share of employment nationally. As of Q1 2025, agriculture (excluding subsistence production) employs 43.7% of Rwanda’s total workforce. The sector is especially vital for women and rural communities, remaining the backbone of livelihoods and food security.

Rwanda’s Vision 2050 and National Strategy for Transformation (NST2) prioritize shifting from subsistence farming to commercial, technology-driven agriculture and agro-processing.  Goals include full digitization, climate resilience, sustainable land use, expanded irrigation, and increased private sector participation.  Farms are expected to become larger, mechanized, and highly productive, with a focus on high-value chains.

Principal agricultural exports are coffee, tea, horticultural products (avocados, passion fruit, flowers, vegetables), and some value-added agricultural products such as canned tomatoes, honey, French beans, passion fruit, macadamia nuts, and mushrooms, and emerging value-added products like grains and pyrethrum. Rwanda’s climatic advantages (high elevation, moderate temperatures, and fertile soils) support year-round cultivation. Rwanda exports live animals, unprocessed meat, and dairy products primarily to neighboring countries, especially the Democratic Republic of Congo, with limited exports of dairy and meat products to markets such as the UAE. The increase in flight routes in and out of Rwanda with RwandAir and other carriers to Europe, the Middle East, and Asia has facilitated an increase in fresh agricultural exports from Rwanda.

Challenges remain in land fragmentation, climate adaptation, access to finance, and post-harvest logistics. The Fifth Strategic Plan for Agriculture Transformation (PSTA5, 2024–2029) focuses on modernizing crop and animal resources, boosting exports, upgrading post-harvest management, and strengthening food system enablers (research, de-risking, digitalization, planning). Private sector investment is expected to rise to 46% of sector needs.  Annual sector growth is targeted above 6%, with agriculture exports projected to surpass $1.5 billion in the next decade.

Table: Agriculture Sector Profile

*Includes food crops, export crops, and livestock[NISR].minagri+2
**Exports/imports from NAEB and sector/agency reports.naeb+2
***Labour force data per NISR, Q1 2025.

Sources:
•    National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) Seasonal Agricultural Survey and Statistical Yearbooks, 2018–2025 editions.  Note: Agriculture production includes food crops, export crops, and livestock.
•    UN Comtrade Database and Rwanda National Agricultural Export Board (NAEB), 2020-2025 trade data.
•    National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR) Labour Force Survey Q1 2025 for employment data.

Leading Sub-sectors

•    Food crops (maize, beans, cassava, sweet potatoes).
•    Horticulture and floriculture (fruits, vegetables, flowers).
•    Livestock and dairy (Girinka “One Cow per Poor Family” program impact, milk, meat).
•    Export crops (coffee, tea, pyrethrum, avocados, cereals).
•    Aquaculture and fisheries (nascent but growing).

Opportunities

•    Agro-processing for higher value addition and export diversification.
•    Storage facilities, cold chain, and logistics to reduce post-harvest loss and improve quality.
•    Supply of certified seeds, fertilizers, and farm machinery to drive productivity.
•    Expansion of pyrethrum farming, horticulture, and sustainable natural insecticide production.
•    Specialized floriculture and plant propagation for targeted export markets.
•    Farmer training and agribusiness education for skills and market orientation.
•    Digital agriculture (traceability, supply chain platforms) and climate adaptation.