“Before, pineapples had a very low market and the prices were very low forcing farmers to stop growing them, but with the current market and an increase in price from the Rwf50 to between Rwf100 and Rwf150, this has encouraged many farmers to start growing the crop,” said T’ames Toclesse Munyankindi, a pineapple farmer in Kirehe district said.
Munyankindi is a member of ‘Tuzamurane Cooperative’ found in Kirehe district which was started in 2005.
“We started growing pineapples on 300 hectares, but now we grow them on over 800 ha and this is all because of the market we have,” he said.
According to Epimaque Nsanzabaganwa, Head of Horticulture Production Division at the National Agriculture Export Board (NAEB), pineapple is grown mainly for fresh market and processing.
“Most of the pyrethrum farmers are grouped into cooperatives and most of the produce comes from the Eastern and Southern provinces, with Gakenke district in the North producing more pineapples,” Nsanzabaganwa said.
Nsanzabaganwa said the area cultivated in 2013 was estimated to be around 2700ha that can yield 30.000mt/year in major growing areas.
“We get market mainly from Inyange Industries which is the main food processing industry in the country,” Jean Bosco Niyibizi another pineapple farmer in Ngoma district said.
Niyibizi said they have different cooperatives in the district which produce pineapple and take them to a granary from where Inyange industry comes to pick them.
“The main challenge we face though are the pests that affect the pineapples but with hope to get pesticide from NAEB as promised,” Niyibiza said.
Rwanda exports pineapples to neighboring countries with the main harvest season being in January –May.
“In rainy season, the harvest is quite good with very low one during the dry season,” Nsanzabaganwa said.
The main producing districts of the country are Ngoma, Kirehe, Kamonyi and Gakenke.
According to Nsanzabanganwa, farmers are able to get technical advice from agronomists from NAEB and Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources and this is contributing to an increase in production.
The entire pineapple cooperative from the different district work to improve on productivity of the crop which is leading to a better change in livelihood of the rural people.
With more market at the international level, they hope to produce even more which will contribute to more development.
Source: East African Business Week