Currently, Rwanda is believed to have over 550,000 coffee farmers on about 33,000 hectares of land, with each farmer owning 170 coffee trees.

Rwanda coffee exporters have targeted an ambitious $75m (Rwf41.4 b) revenue from coffee exports next year.

The figure represents an increase of 39 percent from the $46 million target of (Rwf27b) expected this year. It is also $9m (Rwf4.97b) higher than government’s target of $66 (Rwf36.5b).

Exporters are optimistic about the country’s record coffee export receipt, partly because of extensive marketing and participation in coffee exhibitions.

Their projections are also based on application of intensive methods of farming such as use of fertiliser and the introduction of improved coffee seedlings.

Emmanuel Harelimana, the Deputy Director General Caferwa said the figures that the revenue figures that correspond with 2009 will be realised from a coffee production turnover of 31,000 tonnes.

He was presenting an overview of the country’s coffee sector to stakeholders last week, during the launch of the Rwanda Chapter of East Africa Fine Coffees Conference and Exhibition, at Kigali Serena Hotel.

Caferwa is a coffee exporting company that mainly sales its coffee to America and Europe.

Currently, Rwanda is believed to have over 550,000 coffee farmers on about 33,000 hectares of land, with each farmer owning 170 coffee trees.

Before the end of this year, Rwanda’s Coffee Development Authority (Ocir-café) had proposed to distribute 40 million seedlings to farmers.

This was intended to increase coffee production and revenues in the next future.

Next year’s projections come when Rwanda seeks to collect $100 million (Rwf55.1 billion) from 35,000 tonnes of coffee exports by 2012.

Out of these exports, 85 percent is expected to be fully washed coffee.  However this year, Ocir-café failed to achieve its expected target of $50 million from 29,000 tonnes of coffee this year. This was twice more than last year’s production of 14,000 tonnes.

The shortage was partly attributed to rain variations in different provinces, which affected production thereby drawing it back to 23,000 tonnes with $46 million of revenue.

Coffee is part of the country’s leading export earners alongside tourism, tea and minerals. The steady increase in coffee earnings is partly due to initiatives to raise coffee standards and targeting high-value markets.

Sustaining Partnership to Enhance Rural Enterprises and Agribusiness Development (SPREAD), a USAID organisation assisting farmers in value addition is helping farmer in Rwanda.

With government’s support, SPREAD has helped establish links with over 40 international buyers and roasters.

Agnes Kalibata, State Minister of Agriculture said that her ministry would continue offering any support to see an increase in production.

Ends