Rwanda eyes USD 50m investment in sugar production

The Rwandan government is seeking USD 50 million in private investment to support the sugar sector, enhance national production capacity, and reduce reliance on imports. The state also plans to allocate 8,000 hectares of land for sugarcane cultivation to boost local sugar production, with the aim of achieving sugar self-sufficiency. Despite this, the country’s land constraints have largely limited large-scale sugarcane farming, making full self-sufficiency challenging. Consequently, the government is actively promoting high-yield sugarcane varieties, efficient irrigation, and improved farm management to maximise productivity on existing cane fields. Additionally, Rwanda utilises the EAC Common External Tariff (CET) and safeguards to balance local production and imports, ensuring fair market competition.

The government is also encouraging investment in sugar refining and value addition to capitalise on high regional demand. Rather than prioritising large-scale raw sugar production, Rwanda is focusing on expanding its processing capacity and leveraging trade agreements such as the AfCFTA, COMESA, and EAC, which allow it to refine imported raw sugar for regional export. These efforts align with the country’s broader industrialization goals, fostering agro-processing, manufacturing growth, and supply chain development. By prioritizing value addition, Rwanda seeks to strengthen its economy, reduce import dependency, and create job opportunities in related industries.