Top 20 Coffees Brew Global Ambitions in Rwanda’s 2025 Competition

The winners were announced Aug. 13 in Kigali during the second edition of the national coffee excellence competition, organized by the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB). The event drew 316 entries from farmers, processors and exporters nationwide. Coffees scoring above 86.55 percent advanced to the national finals, with 20 earning more than 87.49 percent to secure auction slots on Oct. 8.

The competition is designed to reward farmers, processors and exporters, promote Rwandan coffee internationally and raise its market value. Proceeds from the auction will go directly to farmers working with the winning washing stations to help them improve yields.

“This is the beginning, but we have not yet reached where we want to go,” NAEB Chief Executive Claude Bizimana said. “We must keep working hard to ensure there are no gaps in how we prepare our coffee, otherwise the progress we’ve made could be reversed. The proceeds will be shared between the farmers and the processing stations that prepared it.”

K Organics, a first-time entrant, took the top prize. Company representative Ignace Ndayahundwa said the win was both surprising and motivating.

“We take special care of our coffee, including drying it in its husks to preserve its originality,” he said. “We will remain vigilant in cultivation, care and harvesting so we can stay at the top, even internationally.”

Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr. Olivier Kamana, said the competition is vital for boosting farmers’ incomes and strengthening Rwanda’s coffee brand abroad.

Japanese Ambassador Isao Fukushima, one of the competition’s partners, said his country is proud of Rwanda’s coffee and plans to host a coffee exhibition in Tokyo to promote it further.

Orest Baragahorana, head of the Rwanda Coffee Exporters and Processors Association, noted that while quality is high, production volumes remain a challenge. “Quality is there, but low yields limit what the coffee sector can achieve,” he said. “We need to improve both quality and quantity to earn more foreign exchange and improve livelihoods.”

In 2022-23, Rwanda exported more than 20,064 tonnes of coffee worth $115.9 million, up from about 15,184 tonnes worth $75.5 million the previous year. Its coffee is sold in Europe, North America, Asia and Africa.

Last year, Rwanda entered a new market by exporting 76.8 tonnes of green coffee worth more than $384,000. Major buyers include Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Finland, the United States, the Netherlands, Germany, Japan, France and South Sudan.