Horticulture Sub-Sector

The horticulture industry in Rwanda is committed to the production of high quality and environmentally friendly products while ensuring the health and welfare of the consumers. The horticulture sub-sector offers considerable potential and can contribute positively to poverty reduction and economic development if adequately exploited.

Horticulture production in Rwanda is highly distributed in all 30 districts. The four key categories of horticulture produce in Rwanda are vegetables, fruits, Nuts and flowers.

Rwanda’s comparative advantages in horticulture include favourable climate, diversified agro climatic conditions including high, medium and low altitude, fertile soils, abundant water resources, and abundant cheap labour that can be used to produce quality and competitive horticulture products for sale in regional and international markets.

Horticultural products grown in Rwanda include: 

The development of horticulture enables farmers to earn a regular income, whilst providing essential nutritional requirements. Horticulture development can play a significant role in the government’s efforts to eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieve universal primary education, reduce child mortality and improve health.

Processed Horticulture Exports

Value added horticulture exports have been increasing. Those include pineapple juice, dried pineapple, mango juice, passion fruit juice, dried and canned vegetables, and pastes like tomato and strawberry jams.

Export destinations for processed horticultural products include countries in the region such as Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, as well as global destinations such as the EU and the US.

The Government of Rwanda has set itself ambitious targets for the diversification and growth of horticulture exports, and is actively promoting investment in the sector.

Horticulture production in Rwanda is highly distributed in all 30 districts. The four key categories of horticulture produce in Rwanda are vegetables, fruits, Nuts and flowers.

Key Competitive factors:

• Facilitates negotiations to access land: The government facilitates investors to easy access private land for cultivation. The government has identified private land suitable for flower cultivation that needs expropriation of private activities.

• Subsidies on irrigation: The government provides subsidies of 50% on importation of small scale irrigation equipment.  There are sites earmarked by government as irrigated schemes with developed irrigation facilities in the country (Gabiro and ETI).

• Tax incentives for horticultural machinery: The government has a list agricultural machinery and equipment exempted from specific taxes.  The government gives a tax holiday of 7 years for investors depending on level of investment and nature of business in the value chain.  A preferential corporate income tax rates of 0-15% depending on investment capital.

• Cold Chain Facilities – The Government offers cost effective cold chain facilities to support exporters in the sector.

• Negotiated Air-Freight Services – The government and the Private Sector Federation (PSF) negotiates for subsidized rates of Airfreight services for stakeholders in the horticulture business.

• Contribution of Agriculture to the Rwandan GDP

• Contribution of agriculture to the GDP: 28%