Rwanda’s coffee revenues will drop by 9.5 percent this year to $42m (Rwf23.7b) from $46m (Rwf26.1b) last year due to low levels of output, Ocir-café’s top official said yesterday.
Alex Kanyankole, the Director General of Ocir-café told Business Times that the harvest of coffee beans will be low this year.

"Last year was a period of a boom and this year it was the lower circle. Next year it will be a boom, that is the trend of coffee,” Kanyankole explained.

The government owned parastatal is targeting  $100 million (Rwf56.6 billion) in foreign exchange earnings from 35,000 tonnes of coffee exports by 2012.

Kanyankole also revealed that 10 delegates from Rwanda are expected to attend the seventh coffee farmers’ conference due to take place in 2010.

The annual event, which is expected to take place in Mombasa, Kenya, from February 11 to 13, 2010, will bring together coffee farmers from Kenya, Uganda, Rwanda, Burundi and Tanzania and other professionals from around the world.

The Ocir-café boss said that Rwanda is an active member of the East African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA).

”The annual event aims at sharing knowledge, skills and other various opportunities to help in improving the quality, adding values and analyse on how to get more revenues from coffee,”  Kanyankole said.

He added that professionals in the coffee industry from all over the world will share experience.

The seventh coffee farmers’ conference brings together African coffee farmers, roasters and exporters.

The annual conference is a rotational event which moves amongst the members states. The last conference was held in Kigali, Rwanda in February this year.

Participants will also discuss policy issues, challenges and find solutions for the problems affecting coffee farmers in the region and Africa as a whole.

The conference is organised by EAC member countries in conjunction with the East African Fine Coffees Association (EAFCA).

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