The Ministry of Trade and Industry (MINICOM) is accelerating the development of regulations governing factories that process banana-based beverages, in a move aimed at expanding markets for farmers and addressing challenges facing both farmers and agro-processing businesses.
The Minister of Trade and Industry, Antoine Marie Kajangwe, outlined the plan on Tuesday, November 3, 2026, while responding to concerns raised by Members of Parliament following their field visits to different parts of the country.
During the visits, MPs identified challenges affecting the processing and marketing of several agricultural products, including bananas.
Kajangwe said expediting the regulations governing banana-based beverage factories would help strengthen the market for bananas and give farmers more reliable outlets for their produce.
He explained that the draft regulations had already been prepared, but consultations with relevant institutions were still underway to refine them and address gaps previously identified in monitoring beverage production.
“As I indicated, we have completed drafting the regulations and reviewing some of the gaps that emerged in monitoring how alcoholic beverages should be produced. Consultations with relevant institutions are still ongoing so that we can improve them and avoid finding ourselves in a similar situation again,” he said.
The minister also announced plans to strengthen links between farmers, livestock keepers and buyers to enable them to trade produce at mutually agreed prices.
A digital platform will also be introduced to help farmers identify available markets and locate potential buyers, making it easier to sell their produce.
Another measure involves advocating for special electricity tariffs for agro-processing industries, as high energy costs remain a major operational challenge for some factories, including coffee-processing businesses.
The proposed measures come after MPs highlighted several challenges affecting agricultural markets, including limited outlets for bananas, milk, chilli peppers and rice, as well as low prices offered to farmers.
They also raised concerns about cooperatives and processing factories delaying payments to farmers, leaving some struggling to sustain their agricultural activities.
Limited access to capital was another challenge identified by lawmakers, who noted that inadequate investment was preventing agricultural produce from being processed to its full potential.
Following the minister’s explanation, the Chamber of Deputies expressed satisfaction with the oral responses provided to the concerns raised during the parliamentary field visits.
The measures are intended to address bottlenecks across the agricultural value chain, from farmers to processing industries and markets, and strengthen agriculture’s contribution to Rwanda’s economic development.
