Rwanda’s National Agricultural Export Board (NAEB) has launched a project that will support young Rwandese to plant more than 100 million fruit trees by 2024, in order to increase agricultural exports. According to the NAEB, the project is also likely encourage youths to start venturing into the sector.

At the launch of the project yesterday in Kamonyi, 8,000 fruit trees of mangoes, avocados, papayas, citrus and others were planted. From July last year to June 2018, Rwanda exported over 8.75 million kgs of fruits, generating $6.89 million in revenues, according to NAEB statistics.

This reflects a considerable rise from 5.9 million kgs that were exported in July 2016 to June 2017, fetching $4.98 million in export revenues. These exports included fresh sweet bananas, avocados, mangoes, passion fruit and guava.

Alex Nkurunziza, the Coordinator of NAEB in Southern Province, told allafrica.com that the trees will largely boost mango and avocado exports: "We assure the farmers that once they plant those trees, and maintain them, we will link them to markets. There is still a gap in terms of fruit exports. Thats is why we need to increase fruit trees in the country.”