The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) is set to provide over 25 million coffee seedlings as part of replacing aging coffee trees across the country.

Rwanda currently has 42,229 hectares of coffee plantations, of which 26.8 percent are considered too old as per figures from NAEB.

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Rwanda moves to replace aging coffee trees, boost production

According to Eric Kabayiza, Single Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) Coordinator at NAEB, the coffee seedlings are being prepared by community groups at cell level in collaboration with the board, beginning with Karongi, Nyamasheke, Rusizi, Ruhango, Huye, and Nyamagabe as key districts in the coffee value chain.

Kabayiza said there are over 300 coffee nurseries in place to produce approximately 9 million seedlings which will replace aging trees in the aforesaid districts. They're mostly districts with high coffee plantations with a high number of old trees.

"We will provide enough seedlings, free of charge, to everyone who needs to rejuvenate their coffee trees. Coffee farmers will get seedlings from their separate cells or anywhere else very close to them," he said.

It is estimated that 1000 ha will be restored as part of ongoing project dubbed Promoting Smallholder Agro-Export Competitiveness (PSAC), replacing 3000 ha of aging coffee trees within 14 districts, mainly encountering with coffee restoration challenges.

Rejuvenation of coffee plantations comes following famers' call in Kivu Belt region over lack of access to seedlings and enough resources to restore their old coffee trees.

"I do not get enough earnings anymore. You can see these trees are too old to give us a good harvest," Samuel Mfitumukiza, a resident from Rutsiro district, previously told The New Times.

Figures show that Rwanda exported in 2023 approximately 20,000 tonnes, which generated $ 116 million.