Rwandan Avocados Eye Access to Chinese Market

According to the Embassy of Rwanda in China, Rwanda is finalizing arrangements with China to sign an agreement for avocado exports. Currently, African countries permitted to export avocados to China include South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zimbabwe. Rwanda is expected to become the fifth African country to gain market access to China.

Avocados from Rwanda are rapidly emerging as a new cash crop, following traditional agricultural exports such as coffee and tea. Their market in the Middle East, particularly in the United Arab Emirates, continues to expand.

Since its first participation in the China International Import Expo (CIIE) in 2018, Rwanda has successfully exported a range of high-quality products to the Chinese market, including coffee, tea, chili peppers, natural honey, macadamia nuts, and handicrafts. Rwanda’s exports to China increased from 35 million in 2019 to 160.6 million in 2024.

Data from the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) of Rwanda shows that the country’s avocado export value grew from 440,000 in 2013 to 6.3 million in 2023. In that year, Rwanda exported 3,200 metric tons of avocados at an average price of $2 per kilogram. With the government’s plan to increase avocado exports to 31,000 metric tons by 2029, large markets such as China and India have become key targets for local producers.

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