{"id":14768,"date":"2026-05-29T19:12:59","date_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:12:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/?p=14768"},"modified":"2026-05-29T19:15:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-29T10:15:12","slug":"rwanda-harvest-update-2025-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/typica.coffee\/en\/rwanda-harvest-update-2025-26\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwanda Harvest Update 2025\/26<\/strong>"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Rwanda’s 2026 coffee harvest arrives on the heels of the most profitable year in the country’s coffee history, and the season brings both promise and pressing challenges. From field observations and the latest industry data, here is what buyers, roasters, and producers need to know heading into this crop.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Our First Trip to Rwanda<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

We’ve had strong partnerships in Rwanda for a while now, but this was actually our first time visiting in person and it was long overdue.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We spent time in the Nyamasheke district in the Western Province, right along Lake Kivu, visiting our partners at Gasharu. Standing on their farms and looking out across the lake, you can literally see Congo on the other side. It puts things in perspective on the contrast of the two neighboring countries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Something else that surprised us was what the farms actually look like. We’ve been to a lot of origins, and Rwanda feels different, the farms are almost wild, more like walking through a forest than through what you’d typically think of as a coffee farm in other countries even within Africa.

We visited several washing stations, which was great for understanding the full picture on processing. The flow is pretty much what you’d expect: cherries come in, get weighed and recorded, then go through the depulper. After that they’re separated by density through different channels into A1, A2, and A3 grades. From there it’s fermentation tanks, washing, and out to the drying tables, with workers hand-sorting for defects all the way through. For naturals, they do a flotation check first to pull out the floaters before anything hits the beds. And then, given how humid it is there, those naturals just sit and dry for up to 60 days. <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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We also visited a new partnership we’re really excited about, a cooperative called Sholi Coffee in Muhanga. They’re not just producing great coffee; they’re building something for their whole community. Health centres, nurseries for kids, local jobs, it feels like a real circular economy, where the value actually stays where the coffee comes from. Their station is one of the biggest we visited, and they’re doing serious work on organic farming methods too. We left that visit feeling genuinely impressed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On top of all that, we had meetings with a few other potential partners that we’re not quite ready to talk about publicly yet \u2014 but we will be soon. There’s a lot to look forward to from Rwanda this year.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Climate & Growing Conditions: Humidity, Rain, and the Drying Challenge<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Anyone visiting Rwanda’s coffee growing regions during harvest season is immediately struck by just how humid and consistently rainy the environment is. The persistent moisture creates great conditions for cherry development, fruit matures evenly and with depth, but it introduces a significant challenge on the processing side, particularly for natural process coffees.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Drying naturals in Rwanda is notoriously slow. Under these climatic conditions, naturals can take up to 60 days on raised drying beds to reach stable moisture levels, compared to the 20\u201330 days typical in drier origins. This demands close attention from washing station managers, regular turning of the drying beds, and rigorous quality control to avoid fermentation defects or mould. The extended drying window also limits the volume of naturals any single station can produce in a season.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is worth noting that Rwanda’s harvest season runs roughly from March through July, with cherries ripening first along the shores of Lake Kivu in the Western Province and then spreading east. The country grows predominantly Red Bourbon at altitudes ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 metres above sea level,  conditions that produce the floral  fruit-forward profiles Rwanda has become known for globally.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Cherry Prices: Competition Heats Up, Costs Rise Sharply<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Cherry prices at the farm gate in 2026 are markedly higher than in previous years, driven by a convergence of market forces that have reshaped purchasing dynamics across the country. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lower yield this cycle.<\/strong> Coffee trees follow a natural biennial rhythm, a heavy-producing year is typically followed by a recovery year with reduced output. After Rwanda’s strong 2025 harvest, trees are producing less cherry in 2026, lowering supply at a time when demand is one of the highest. As one of the agronomists mentioned, “when coffee produces heavily in one season, the following year can be weaker because the trees are rebuilding.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Intensified competition from Chinese buyers.<\/strong> Chinese purchasing activity has increased significantly, with multiple companies entering the market and buying cherry upfront in large volumes before the peak of the season. This pre purchasing pressure, combined with lower overall production, has driven cherry prices to roughly double what they were a year ago. Buyers who have operated in Rwanda for years are finding themselves competing for supply in a very different environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

NAEB raises the minimum farm-gate price.<\/strong> Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) raised the official minimum farm-gate price for quality cherries to Rwf 750 per kilogram for the 2026 season up 25% from Rwf 600 in 2025. In practice, competitive pressure is pushing actual prices well above this amount, during the 2026 season, some buyers reportedly paid as much as Rwf 1,250 per kilogram.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

For roasters and importers building direct relationships or fixed-price forward contracts, this price environment requires close communication with sourcing partners <\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n\n\n

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Processing: Naturals, Honeys, and the Quality Opportunity<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Despite the drying challenges, Rwanda continues to develop its range of specialty processing methods. Washed coffees still dominate, approximately 80% of Rwanda’s coffee is fully washed  but natural, honey, and anaerobic processing now account for around 5% of exports and command significant higher prices on the specialty market.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The long, slow drying that humidity necessitates, while operationally demanding, can actually contribute to complexity in the cup when managed well. Producers who have invested in proper raised-bed infrastructure, covered drying capacity, and skilled station management are best positioned to turn the climatic challenge into a quality advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Market Dynamics: Chinese Demand and a Changing Landscape<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The increased presence of Chinese buyers in Rwanda is part of a broader global trend. China’s growing specialty coffee market has made East African origins increasingly attractive, and Rwanda, fits the profile of coffee that performs well in China’s emerging specialty coffee culture. The upfront purchasing model being used by some Chinese companies adds an additional layer of pressure that the market is still adjusting to.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Belgium, the United States, and China were among the top importers of Rwandan coffee in 2025. Rwanda has also been actively expanding into Middle Eastern markets, specially Dubai, while strengthening its presence in specialty channels across Europe and North America.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Potato Defect: Real, but Manageable<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Anyone buying Rwandan coffee seriously needs to understand potato taste defect (PTD). It’s caused by the Antestia bug, which pokes the cherry skin and allows bacteria in,  producing that raw potato smell at the grind. The frustrating part is there’s no way to see it coming. Affected beans look identical to clean ones.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

With the SCA’s new Coffee Value Assessment now naming potato as one of only three formal sensory defects, it’s getting more attention industry-wide, and that adds pressure on Rwanda’s quality reputation at a moment when the country is trying to step up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What we’d push back on is the idea that it defines the origin. Research puts the incidence rate at under 1% in well-sourced lots. And the mitigation work happening at the better stations is genuine, the flotation checks we saw at every washing station we visited are specifically designed to catch Antestia-damaged cherries before they go further, since damaged fruit tends to float. Hand-sorting at multiple stages adds another layer. It’s not a perfect fix, but producers who take it seriously are making a real difference.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One thing that doesn’t get talked about enough is what happens after the harvest. Properly pruning the trees and stripping any remaining cherries off the branches at the end of the season is crucial, left on the tree, those overripe or underpicked cherries become a breeding ground for Antestia and other pests, setting up the next harvest for higher defect rates before it even begins, the producers getting this right are thinking about quality all year round, not just during picking season.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Rwanda Coffee in Numbers: The Bigger Picture<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda’s coffee sector arrived at 2026 in a strong position, off the back of a landmark year:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

– $148.6 million<\/strong> in export revenues in 2025 \u2014 a record high, up 65% year-on-year
– 23,860 tonnes<\/strong> of green coffee exported in 2025, a 39% increase over 2024’s 17,142 tonnes
– $6.20\/kg<\/strong> average export price in 2025, up 19% from 2024
– 400,000<\/strong> smallholder farming households in Rwanda depend on coffee for their livelihoods
– Rwanda is responsible for approximately 0.2% of global coffee production<\/strong>, producing an average of around 293,500 sixty-kilogram bags per year over the past decade
– The country’s 2025\/2026 harvest was projected at 18,000 MT<\/strong>, with the eastern region recovering from earlier drought stress thanks to recent rains
– Rwanda’s government is targeting 32,000 tonnes<\/strong> of exports and $192 million<\/strong> in revenues by 2029 under its National Strategy for Transformation (NST2)<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Beyond the Coffee: A Few Personal Notes on Rwanda<\/strong><\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The food.<\/strong> Simple, hearty, and genuinely tastes home cooked. Fish or meat, potatoes, loads of vegetables,nothing overcomplicated. Every meal felt healthy and real. The kind of food you miss when you’re gone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Safety and organisation.<\/strong> Honestly one of the most put together countries we’ve visited on the continent. Clean, infrastructure where you don’t always expect it, and a real sense of civic pride. Some roads near the farms are another story though, Valentin from Gasharu Coffee called the road tracks “free massage roads,” which is accurate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Women in coffee.<\/strong> At every stop, women were in leadership and quality roles. When we asked the community, the answer was simple: “women are more responsible for these tasks, men are good at always moving on their feet, women keep everything together.” The culture of respect for what women bring to this industry is real.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Banana wine.<\/strong> A fermented drink made with sorghum, banana, and inshinge. We tried it. Definitely an acquired taste. We’ll leave it there.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Looking Ahead<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 season shows Rwanda at a crossroads: record exports and growing international recognition on one side, rising costs and supply pressure on the other. For buyers committed to Rwanda, this is a moment to invest in relationships, understand the structural changes reshaping the supply chain, and communicate transparently with customers about price shifts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Quality coffee is still very much available, Rwanda’s terroir, its altitude, its Bourbon genetics, and the skill being built at its better washing stations haven’t changed. But the days of Rwanda as an underpriced origin are clearly behind us.<\/p>\n\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section><\/div><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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