Rwanda airlifts 70 tons of avocados to UAE, linking 1,000 farmers

RWANDA – Rwandan exporter Kumwe Green Farms has shipped 70 tons of avocados to the United Arab Emirates on a single charter flight, sourcing the shipment from more than 1,000 smallholder farmers, according to TradeMark Africa.

The shipment, equivalent to three container loads, was facilitated through the Value-Added Initiative to Boost Employment (VIBE) program, implemented by TradeMark Africa in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation.

The five-year program, running from 2023 to 2028, focuses on market access across the horticulture, poultry, dairy, and meat value chains.

Young women accounted for 70% of the growers supplying the consignment. The export also generated short-term employment across harvesting, sorting, transport, and packing, with about 200 informal field roles linked to the shipment.

In addition, the packhouse ran a four-day operation day and night, employing 64 casual workers each day, about 90% of whom were women, mostly young.

Kumwe Green Farms owner Fred Rwigamba said the breakthrough came from building a strong farmer network and strengthening packaging, quality assurance, phytosanitary compliance, and export logistics to meet buyers’ requirements.

“This shipment shows that Rwanda’s smallholder farmers can supply an international buyer at scale when the market, aggregation, and logistics are well aligned,” he said.

TradeMark Africa Rwanda Country Director Rosine Uwamariya said the milestone reached more than 1,000 smallholder farmers and created paid opportunities for young women at several points along the value chain.

Moreover, the VIBE program has so far generated an estimated US$9.7 million in exports and more than 32,000 job opportunities for young people, primarily young women.

Meanwhile, Rwanda’s avocado sector has expanded sharply, with exports rising from about 840 tons valued at US$840,500 in 2019/20 to more than 4,201 tons generating over US$8.6 million in 2024/25, according to the National Agricultural Export Development Board.

Avocados’ share of Rwanda’s total horticultural export revenues increased from 2.93% to over 10% during the same period.

Lastly, while air freight remains dominant, exporters are testing sea freight to reduce costs. With about 90% of Rwanda’s avocado exports destined for the UAE, shifting to sea freight could lower landed costs, improve margins for the 1,000 farmers supplying the trade, and support the sector’s expansion from 4,201 tons in 2024/25 to larger volumes.

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