To strengthen the export of its agricultural products, the Rwandan government plans to deepen its collaboration with Qatar Airways Cargo. The initiative aims to reduce logistics costs, minimize post-harvest losses, and ultimately increase farmers’ incomes.
Rwanda has held multiple discussions with Qatar Airways Cargo with the goal of optimizing air transport for its agricultural goods to international markets. A recent meeting brought together Minister of Agriculture Mark Cyubahiro Bagabe, RwandAir CEO Yvonne Makolo, and Qatar Airways Cargo’s Chief Officer, Mark Drusch. The objective was to identify concrete solutions to facilitate exports and make air freight more affordable for producers.
Currently, Rwandan exports—particularly fruits—struggle with limited competitiveness due to high costs, long delivery times, and restricted cargo capacity. As a landlocked country, Rwanda is heavily reliant on air transport for moving its agricultural products abroad.
RwandAir, the country’s main national carrier, still operates a relatively small network with a modest fleet, owning only one cargo aircraft with a 23-ton capacity. A partnership with Qatar Airways could therefore open new trade routes to key destinations such as Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Fruits are a vital component of Rwanda’s export portfolio, alongside coffee, tea, and pyrethrum. According to the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), fruit exports generated $37.4 million in 2024.
The government aims to accelerate this growth as part of its Strategic Plan for the Transformation of Agriculture (PSTA 5), which targets $1.5 billion in agricultural export revenues by 2029.
Enhancing air freight capacity is viewed as a key catalyst to achieving this goal and strengthening the international competitiveness of Rwandan agricultural products.
