Rwanda exported 17.3 million kilogrammes of coffee during the first 11 months of 2015 to November, up from 15.1 million kilogrammes in 2014, reflecting a 14.61 per cent growth. This was a difference of 2.1 million kilos or an increase of 13.9 per cent compared to quantities sold in the same period in 2014, according to statistics from the National Agriculture Export Board (NAEB).

However, coffee export revenues increased minimally by 0.58 per cent to $56.3 million (Rwf43.3 billion) during 2015 up from $56 million (Rwf43.1 billion) fetched in 2014.

Total production of green coffee over the period amounted to more than 17.3 million kilogrammes compared to 15.1 million kilos during the same period in 2014.

According to NAEB officials, the increase is attributed to the high volume of coffee sold in 2015 (13.85 per cent) compared to 2014).

The sector’s earnings were, however, affected by the drop in global coffee prices, which deteriorated by 23 per cent from $4.23 to $3.24 in July of 2015. As a result, coffee export revenues declined by almost 21 percent over the reporting period.

Dr Celestin Gatarayiha, the head of the coffee chain division at NAEB, recently said fully-washed coffee has increased marginally from 42 per cent in 2014 to 42.2 per cent. "We are targeting the growth in export volumes of fully-washed coffee to reach 50 per cent,” Gatarayiha said.

Meanwhile, the milk industry generated $11.9 million from the sales of 11,888,646 litres of milk during the first 11 months of 2015. This is a 5.9 per cent increase compared to $11.2 million generated in same period in 2014.

The country fetched $19.4 million from cereal exports. The sector exported 32.1 million kilogrammes of cereals, which was a decline from 37.01 million kilos in 2014.

NAEB attributed this to the growing number of refugees from Burundi, where cereals are bought by World Food Programme to feed the refugees.