Rwanda: New Traceability Drive Seeks to Protect Horticulture Exports

What the report says

Rwanda is tightening traceability rules for horticulture exports after several costly rejections of chilli shipments in European markets, according to The New Times, distributed by AllAfrica. Exporter Robert Rukundo said five tonnes of chilli sent to Italy in March were rejected and destroyed, following a similar case in Switzerland in 2025. He and other industry figures said the losses highlight uncertainty over which farm inputs are being used and whether they meet the rules of the destination country.

The National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) and the Rwanda Inspectorate, Competition and Consumer Protection Authority (RICA) are expanding a farm-coding system that links exported produce to the specific farms and packhouses where it was grown and handled. Officials said the goal is to track production history, monitor pest control, and identify whether pesticides or other inputs are approved in a particular market. The system is being extended to crops including avocado, French beans, fresh chilli and macadamia, alongside export compliance protocols for several products shipped to the EU and UK.

The article also notes Rwanda’s push to grow avocado exports, including work tied to a protocol for shipments to China and preparations for potential access to India. NAEB and RICA have identified key orchards, assigned codes and registered packhouses as part of that effort. More broadly, the move reflects a common export challenge in horticulture: meeting destination-specific phytosanitary and food-safety requirements before produce leaves the farm, rather than trying to solve compliance problems after a shipment is already rejected.