Rwanda harvested 331,963 tonnes of potatoes in Season B of 2026. This is 5.7% more than in Season B of 2025, when output was 314,093 tonnes. The National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda released the Seasonal Agricultural Survey on 22 September.
Farmers planted potatoes on 48,424 hectares. The area grew by 5.4% compared with the same season last year.
Yield almost flat
Output and area rose at almost the same rate. So the average yield changed little. According to Agaciro Press, it stood at about 6.9 tonnes per hectare.
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The main potato districts are in the north and west of the country: Musanze, Burera, Nyabihu, Rubavu.
Other crops also grew
The survey showed gains for other staple crops in Season B:
- rice: +10.1%, to 80,325 tonnes
- bananas: +5.6%, to 1,231,202 tonnes
- maize: +4%, to 122,370 tonnes
- beans: +1.3%, to 243,775 tonnes
According to Agaciro Press, 81.3% of farmers used organic fertiliser and 57.5% used mineral fertiliser. Irrigation was practised by 13.1% of farms. These shares refer to farming in general, not to potatoes only.
The statistics institute released the survey on 22 September. Local media published the main figures two days later.
Rwanda has three farming seasons a year. Season B runs from about March to June. It is one of the two main seasons for potatoes.
Why it matters
Rwanda grows more potatoes mainly by planting more land. Yields of about 7 tonnes per hectare remain far below those in many other producing countries. Better seed, fertiliser and disease control could add more tonnes than new land.
Land in the northern highlands is limited. So future growth will depend on yield gains. Seed multipliers, input suppliers and extension services have a large market to serve. Buyers in Kigali and neighbouring countries will watch whether the next season keeps output rising.
Photo: Potato harvest in Rwanda (illustrative). IGANZE / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
