He made the remarks on November 3, 2026, while responding to questions in the Chamber of Deputies following concerns raised during parliamentary field visits across the country about the processing and marketing of agricultural produce.
Kajangwe explained that changes in the operations of some breweries had been observed in recent years, particularly in the use of agricultural raw materials required in the production of fermented beverages.
“Standards governing fermented alcoholic beverages produced in Rwanda are being revised, and the regulations have been finalised. In the past, some of these breweries were not using agricultural products to the extent required, which had changed the nature of the beverages and how they were produced,” he said.
The review follows the closure of more than 200 factories producing illicit alcoholic drinks, which had been linked to health risks due to the chemical substances used in their production.
The closures also affected markets for agricultural produce, including bananas previously supplied to some factories for brewing traditional banana beer, known as ‘urwagwa’.
Kajangwe said alternative ways of processing the bananas were being explored while the affected breweries remain barred from returning their products to the market.
“Some other factories had also closed, yet they used substantial quantities of agricultural produce. We are encouraging people to produce non-fermented juice and explore other ways of processing bananas that were previously used to make banana beer, while the breweries producing these alcoholic beverages are not yet authorised to resume operations,” he said.
Data from the 2026 Season A Agricultural Production Survey shows that Rwanda harvested 562,968 tonnes of brewing bananas.
The Minister said the revised standards had been finalised and were expected to be approved and published soon, paving the way for some breweries to resume processing agricultural produce.
He added that the government was also preparing a law governing quality standards in Rwanda to strengthen regulation across different sectors, beyond the alcoholic beverages industry.
“A law governing quality standards in Rwanda is being developed to cover the entire quality assurance process, not just alcoholic beverages. As our economy continues to grow rapidly, we need to reassess how we do things across different sectors,” he said.
Kajangwe also highlighted efforts to enforce regulations governing the establishment of industries under the country’s Industrial Policy, introduced in 2024.
He said the government wants industries to operate in properly developed industrial zones and in compliance with the law, while strengthening their capacity to collect and process agricultural and livestock produce.
The initiative is expected to support agricultural production and increase the output of locally manufactured products.
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