{"id":2000103556,"date":"2026-02-27T14:47:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:47:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/?p=2000103556"},"modified":"2026-02-27T14:47:14","modified_gmt":"2026-02-27T12:47:14","slug":"rwandan-exhibitors-seize-new-opportunities-at-paris-international-agricultural-show","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/rwandan-exhibitors-seize-new-opportunities-at-paris-international-agricultural-show\/","title":{"rendered":"Rwandan exhibitors seize new opportunities at Paris International Agricultural Show"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

This was emphasized during a visit by Rwanda\u2019s Ambassador to France, Fran\u00e7ois Nkulikiyimfura, who toured the Rwandan pavilion and engaged with exhibitors about the benefits from it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The ambassador noted that France is a major player in agriculture and livestock, stressing the value of establishing business partnerships. He also assured participants that the Rwandan Embassy would continue to support them in accessing new markets in France.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amb. Nkulikiyimfura was accompanied by Janet Basiima, the Head of the Export Market Development and Innovation Division at the National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Among the exhibitors was Ritha Umutoni, CEO of Rixu Rwanda Coffee, who told IGIHE that participating in such fairs helps promote Rwandan products on international markets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cAttending is not just about meeting buyers,\u201d she said. \u201cWe also engage in planned activities, meeting executives from large importing and exporting companies worldwide. It\u2019s a place to learn, visit other key markets in France, and expand our business ideas and practices.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Umutoni also praised Rwanda\u2019s governance under President Paul Kagame, saying it enables Rwandans to participate confidently on international platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stephanie Kayirangwa, Managing Director of Fita Ltd, which grows and exports agricultural products including chili, commended NAEB for facilitating access to the fair and the embassy for ongoing support.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aloys Rubayiza, Managing Director of Rwanda Mountain Coffee, noted that this was his first time at the show but was impressed by the attention Rwandan products received.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis was Rwanda\u2019s fifth participation, and we noticed buyers returning for Rwandan coffee and tea because they enjoyed it. It confirmed that our coffee is gaining recognition internationally,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The fair, held annually at Paris Expo \u2013 Porte de Versailles from late February to early March, showcases agricultural and livestock products, related technologies, partnerships, and innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 2026 edition opened on February 21 with the presence of French President Emmanuel Macron. Rwanda was allocated the seventh pavilion among over 100 participating countries, highlighting its progress in promoting agricultural and livestock exports.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Rwanda was represented by NAEB, the Rwandan Embassy in France, and 15 companies showcasing products such as coffee, tea, honey, and more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition provides a valuable platform for farmers, entrepreneurs, and investors to share experiences and explore investment opportunities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

SIA spans nine days and attracts more than 1,000 exhibitors and thousands of visitors. In 2025, over 607,503 people attended the event, making it one of France\u2019s most attended fairs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The exhibition also features 4,000 animals, including cows, sheep, pigs, and horses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Agricultural exports continue to grow. In December 2025, Rwanda\u2019s Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources reported that exports of these products had generated over $893.1 million.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Under Rwanda\u2019s Second National Strategy for Transformation (NST2), the country aims to increase foreign currency earnings from agricultural exports to $1.5 billion annually by 2029.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n
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Rwandans at SIA 2026 trade fair have been pleased with the available opportunities.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Visitors were impressed by Rwandan coffee. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rubayiza Aloys, the Managing Director of Rwanda Mountain Coffee, showcasing his products to visitors.
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwanda is participating in SIA trade fair in France for the fifth time.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwanda\u2019s Ambassador to France, Fran\u00e7ois Nkulikiyimfura, promised support to those seeking expanded market opportunities in the country. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amb. Nkulikiyimfura speaks with Stephanie Kayirangwa, CEO of Fita Ltd, which produces chili and various flavors.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Amb. Nkulikiyimfura talks with participants, including coffee exporter Nzungize<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ambassador Fran\u00e7ois Nkulikiyimfura in conversation with IGIHE.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Ritha Umutoni, CEO of Rixu Rwanda Coffee, told IGIHE that the main reason for attending such fairs is to promote \u201cMade in Rwanda\u201d products.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rubayiza Aloys, the Managing Director of Rwanda Mountain Coffee, welcomed the attention Rwandan exhibitors receive from foreign visitors<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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\"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwanda’s pavillion received significant attention. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Rwandans were pleased with opportunities to expand markets in Europe.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
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Swiss visitors admired Rwandan coffee<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n
\"\"<\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Rwandan participants at the ongoing Paris International Agricultural Show (SIA) expressed satisfaction with the outcomes, highlighting the potential to expand markets for their products.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":2000103560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[62],"tags":[151,69],"byline":[480],"hashtag":[],"class_list":["post-2000103556","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business-62","tag-editors-choice","tag-homehighlights","byline-karirima-a-ngarambe"],"bylines":[{"id":480,"name":"Karirima A .Ngarambe","slug":"karirima-a-ngarambe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"contributors":[{"id":480,"name":"Karirima A .Ngarambe","slug":"karirima-a-ngarambe","description":"","image":{"id":0,"url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/?s=96&d=mm&f=y&r=g","alt":"Default avatar","title":"Default avatar","caption":"","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","sizes":[]},"user_id":null}],"featured_image":{"id":2000103560,"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","alt":"","caption":"Rwandans at SIA 2026 trade fair have been pleased with the available opportunities. \n","mime_type":"image\/jpeg","width":1000,"height":667,"sizes":{"thumbnail":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","width":150,"height":100},"medium":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","width":300,"height":200},"medium_large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","width":768,"height":512},"large":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":667},"full":{"url":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/a5b4133c-f6b8-4fe7-8758-7-1.jpg","width":1000,"height":667}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000103556","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2000103556"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000103556\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2000103587,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2000103556\/revisions\/2000103587"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2000103560"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2000103556"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2000103556"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2000103556"},{"taxonomy":"byline","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/byline?post=2000103556"},{"taxonomy":"hashtag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.igihe.com\/english\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/hashtag?post=2000103556"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}