Rwanda: Horticulture Export Traceability System to Curb Rejections

• Rwandan horticulture exporters face significant financial losses from rejected consignments due to non-compliant agricultural inputs, including a five-tonne chilli shipment to Italy in March and a two-tonne shipment to Switzerland in 2025.
• A single tonne of chilli can be valued at approximately $5,000 (Rwf6.3 million), and destruction costs for rejected goods can reach thousands of euros, such as the €4,000 (Rwf6.7 million) paid for a two-tonne chilli destruction in Switzerland.
• The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) are strengthening a farm coding and traceability system to link exported produce to its origin.
• This system accounts for differing international market requirements for agricultural inputs, with NAEB CEO Claude Bizimana noting that using unpermitted inputs can lead to the destruction of entire consignments.
• RICA's Acting Director, Savio Hakirumurame, highlighted that the system establishes origin and production history for crops like avocado, fresh chilli, and macadamia, crucial for meeting diverse global phytosanitary, food safety, and quality standards for EU and UK markets.

This granular level of detail is increasingly vital as international markets demand comprehensive evidence regarding where produce was grown, how it was managed, the pest monitoring protocols applied, the control measures implemented, and its movement through the supply chain.

Robert Rukundo, chairperson of the Horticulture Exporters Association of Rwanda, recently faced significant financial setbacks when a five-tonne consignment of chilli, destined for Italy, was rejected and subsequently destroyed in March. This incident followed a similar rejection in 2025, when two tonnes of chilli were also destroyed after being shipped to Switzerland. Rukundo highlighted the substantial costs involved, noting that a single tonne of chilli can be valued at approximately $5,000, or about Rwf6.3 million, a figure that includes both production and transport expenses.

Beyond the value of the produce itself, exporters are often burdened with additional fees for the destruction of non-compliant consignments. Rukundo recounted paying around €4,000, equivalent to approximately Rwf6.7 million, for the destruction of the two tonnes of chilli in Switzerland last year, emphasizing that these destruction costs fluctuate based on the volume of the rejected goods. These recurring losses have raised serious concerns among Rwandan horticulture exporters regarding the agricultural inputs utilized by farmers, particularly whether these inputs align with the stringent requirements of international export markets. Rukundo specifically pointed out the difficulty in consistently knowing which inputs farmers have applied to their crops.

The challenge is further complicated by the diverse regulatory landscapes across different global markets. An agricultural input deemed acceptable in one destination may be strictly prohibited in another. For instance, certain pesticides, such as "Rocket," may contain ingredients that are not permitted in specific markets, even if the pesticide itself is generally allowed. This discrepancy underscores the critical need for a robust system to ensure that Rwandan agricultural input regulations meet the varied international phytosanitary standards exports demand.

In response to these pressing issues, the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) are actively strengthening a comprehensive Rwanda horticulture export traceability system. This initiative aims to establish a direct link between exported produce and the specific farms where it was cultivated, thereby enhancing transparency and accountability within the supply chain. Claude Bizimana, CEO of NAEB, explained that this sophisticated system is meticulously designed to accommodate the distinct requirements of various export destinations.

A core component of this enhanced framework involves the application of farm codes to production sites. Bizimana illustrated the necessity of this approach by stating that land used for growing chilli intended for the United Kingdom should be kept separate from land designated for chilli exports to India or China, primarily because the agricultural inputs permitted for these markets can differ significantly. He underscored the severe consequences of non-compliance, noting that the use of inputs not allowed in a particular destination can lead to the outright rejection and destruction of an entire consignment. Should produce be tested and found to have been treated with unapproved inputs, the entire shipment faces destruction, resulting in substantial horticulture export rejection costs for Rwanda.

Savio Hakirumurame, Acting Director of the Farm Product and Processes Inspection Unit at RICA, elaborated on the strategic importance of Rwanda farm coding exports. He explained that this system is fundamental to establishing the precise origin and complete production history of horticultural exports. Rather than simply identifying a consignment as a generic "Rwandan avocado" or "chilli," the new framework empowers authorities and other stakeholders to trace the product directly back to its registered production site.

This granular level of detail is increasingly vital as international markets demand comprehensive evidence regarding where produce was grown, how it was managed, the pest monitoring protocols applied, the control measures implemented, and its movement through the supply chain. The enhanced traceability system is currently being expanded to encompass a range of key horticultural commodities, including avocado, French beans, fresh chilli, and macadamia. Furthermore, RICA has developed specific export compliance protocols tailored for various products destined for the European Union and UK markets, such as fresh chilli, capsicum, cut roses, bitter gourd, and baby corn. Hakirumurame emphasized that these stringent requirements cannot be uniformly applied across all crops, as importing countries maintain diverse phytosanitary, food safety, and quality standards, necessitating a flexible yet rigorous approach to Rwanda phytosanitary standards exports. This comprehensive approach aims to safeguard Rwanda's reputation as a reliable exporter and minimize costly rejections.

Lawyers advising Rwandan horticulture exporters must understand the new NAEB and RICA farm coding and traceability system to ensure client compliance with international market phytosanitary and food safety standards, mitigating risks of costly export rejections due to non-compliant agricultural inputs.

Source: Original reporting via The New Times