Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Rwanda is known for a lot of things when it comes to tourism and Agritourism. This has also been added to the many things that Rwanda is known for. Farm tours also known as Agritourism or Agro tourism in Rwanda has taken the country by storm as many farmers are now planting different crops for tourism purposes.

Agritourism is where one joins agriculture and tourism. In simple terms it is where crops are grown on a large scale for tourism purposes and later sold. So that one can earn more income from the sales.  It is on the rise in the country and it should be understood by everyone if we want to keep up with the trending world when it comes to tourism.

Rwanda does not have a lot of Agritourism farms since it has just been recently introduced into the country. That is why, I have listed a few of them and other unlisted Agritourism farms.

The Pineapple Agritourism Farm

Pineapples is a fruit crop that originated from Latin America. It reached Africa between 16th and 17th Century and in Rwanda after 1962. In Rwanda Pineapples are commonly grown in western, northern, southern and eastern provinces. Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

• Type of varieties grown in Rwanda: Queen and Smooth Cayenne and Sugarloaf, Pineapple
• Cultivation locations in Rwanda: It is mostly grown in Kirehe, Ngoma, Bugesera, Kayonza, Nyagatare, Gisagara, Huye, Kamonyi and Muhanga districts
• Climatic conditions for growth: Pineapple grows in warm and humid climate at low elevations areas within temperature range of 15ºC to 30ºC. It is drought tolerant because of the special water storage cells. Tourists normally visit the area to see the way how these are propagated and how they are harvested. It is mainly operated on by Asians and everyone who visits the farm is given a knife which they use when it comes to harvesting the pineapples. They also get to buy some fresh pineapples. The farm also gives out knowledge about the different techniques that are used when it comes to farming.

The food crops

There are many food crops that are grown in the area.  some of these include sweet potatoes, bananas, sugarcanes, Irish potatoes, arrowroots, cassava and many more others. The food crops help in provision of food to the owners of the farm and the local people living around the farm and the visitors also get to buy some of the fresh food crops from the farm.

Backyard farming

Vegetables are the ones that are mostly grown in the backyard farming and this is mostly done in plastics. These are grown and when they are ready, they are grown to supplement the farmer’s diet and some of them are sold to tourists. The tourists also get a chance to learn how to do farming on a small-scale piece of land.

 Forest farming

The forests planted here are always done on a large scale and they have helped in the reduction of deforestation in the country. There are several tree species that are planted in the area and tourists get to see the different tree species and some of these include eucalyptus trees, Musizi trees, pine trees, jackfruit trees, orange trees, Bamboo trees and many more others.

Fish farming- Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Our routine activities revolve around combining specific male and female for a few days, then harvesting their eggs and returning those parent fish to their resting ponds. It’s labor-intensive, but that’s okay because we are set up for that. Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Oreochromis are maternal mouthbrooders. That means that after the eggs have been externally fertilized on the bottom of the pond, the female picks them up in her mouth and holds them there for a week or more until they hatch. ​ We commercialize that process by “robbing” the eggs from the females after a day or two and incubating them in the fish hatchery and then growing out in the fish nursery  to 1g for sale or stocking.

There is an increase in the demand for fish in the country and that is why there is an increase in fish farms in the country. The fish farm has different species of fish that are reared but the most common species is the Cray fish and the cat fish. When tourists visit the area, they get to learn how fishing is done, how the fish ponds are constructed, how the fish is cared for without losing them and how the fishing is chosen before they are put in the ponds.

Below are some of the general unlisted farms that are used for Agritourism in Rwanda.

Cattle farms

Most of the cattle farms in Rwanda are found in the western part of the country. The cattle that are mostly used when it comes to Agritourism are the long-horned cattle also locally known as the Inyambo cattle and these are reared for both meat and milk purposes. Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Most of the farms have been turned into tourist attraction sites and her tourists get to see how the cattle is reared using different techniques, how they are milked locally, fed and how the manure is used to fertilize the nearby gardens to get good yields. And while here, you also get to know that when cattle are slaughtered, most parts of the cattle are not thrown away but eaten.

The coffee farms  – Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Kinunu Washing Station

Directly overlooking the shores of Lake Kivu, about 20km south of Gisenyi, Kinunu is among the most popular destinations for coffee tours thanks to its beautiful vistas.

Kinunu buys coffee cherries from hundreds of farmers who live and grow coffee near the washing station, with plots typically less than a quarter of a hectare. It also has partnerships with several local cooperatives and farmers’ associations.

Reachable by boat or bicycle, Kinunu makes a fabulous day trip from Gisenyi, and can be easily combined with a hike or cycle on the Congo Nile Trail.

A visit to the coffee farms will have you get the general knowledge about coffee, how it is grown, the fertilizing part and you will also get to help when it comes to harvesting the ripe ones. The coffee is also exported to the different countries and the farms acting as tourist destinations will help in income geIngoboka

collective operations – Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Based near the village of Kayove on the route between Gisenyi and Karongi, the Ingoboka Collective operates several plantations and washing stations in the area, including a marvelously scenic cluster of farms on Nyamirundi Island, which are reachable by a short paddle over from the mainland and produce an Arabica that’s renowned by connoisseurs the world over.

For a deeper insight, KZ Noir distributes coffee from a variety of cooperatives and farms throughout the country. Visitors with a special interest can, with a bit of planning, arrange visits to any of their washing stations. For casual visitors, it’s hard to top Kinunu for scenery.

KZ Noir has three other stations on the northern lakeshore, including Cyebumba, Nkora, and Rugamba. South of Karongi are Shangi, Cyivugiza, and Cyiya. Nearer the capital, the Buliza Washing Station is between Kigali and Gicumbi.

Tea farms – Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Rwanda has various tea estates that are found in the different parts of the country and these are now acting as tourist destinations. Tea in Rwanda is mostly. These tea estates are now Agritourism farms and one gets to know how tea grows, how it looks like while still in the gardens and how to harvest it when it is ready. The Tea farms are generating income businesses to the owners and the locals that work in them and they provide revenue to the government. Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Tea production in Rwanda

Rwandan tea growing regions are endowed with ideal climate; tropical, volcanic soils and well distributed rainfall ranging between 1200 mm to 1400mm per annum. There are also sunny days which are some of the climatic features of the Tea growing regions.

Tea production labor is manual and much of the tea grown in Rwanda is processed using the Crush, Tear, Curl (CTC) method, making it suitable for use in blends popular in most black-tea markets. CTC-tea has a homogenous taste and a strong generic, bold “tea” flavour and is the base of most Rwandan tea blends as well as a significant portion of breakfast teas.

Higher-quality Rwandan teas are processed using traditional methods, like picking of the tender leaves and bud cyclically, hence being allowed to dry and be “fermented” by enzymes. They are the often highly sought after “single origin” whole-leaf teas. The tea sector consists of 15 tea factories, with an annual production volume of over 25,000 metric tons of dry tea. The area under tea cultivation is approximately 26,000 hectares.

The following tea categories are produced.

1-    Conventional tea

Black CTC Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Our factories produce some of the best black CTC teas. The black tea produces a dark coppery brew with rich, full-bodied flavors. They offer for sale black CTC tea from the tea factories of Rubaya (recognized for its great colorful cup), Nyabihu and Kitabi (recognized for their tasty bright infusion) in a variety of grades, namely BP1, PF1, PD and Dust 1 for the primary grades; and Dust, Fngs1, Dust2 and BMF for the secondary grades. Rwanda Mountain tea Ltd offers for direct sale 30 % of its annual production of black tea.

Green Tea Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Our green tea, which is produced at the Rubaya tea factory using the CTC manufacturing method, produces a light yellow-green brew much prized by health-conscious consumers who value its anti-oxidant properties. This production is mostly availed in blended and packaged forms by Rwanda Tea packers Ltd.

2-    Specialty tea

Organic black CTC

Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd produces organic black CTC in a variety of grades from its tea factory of Rutsiro, and from Busenyi block in Kitabi. These teas hold EOS and NOP certifications, and are audited regularly to ascertain close adherence to the organic requirements. They are mostly for export to international niche markets. A small percentage is sold at the Mombasa weekly auction market.

Organic green CTC

Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd has started production of green organic CTC tea from its tea factory of Rutsiro. This tea will mostly be for export to niche markets worldwide.

Organic orthodox tea Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd has completed installation of a line of orthodox tea manufacture at its tea factory of Rutsiro. The orthodox tea manufactured will be mostly for export purposes.

• Sorwathé Tea Factory Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

This is one of largest tea factories in the country. Manufacturing an impressive five million tons annually. And accounting for fifteen percent of Rwanda’s total tea output. Focusing primarily on the export market, the CTC factory has been set up with four full lines of modern machinery, including computerized monitoring. It adheres to all necessary international ethical norms and industrial standards. In the field, twenty percent of the growing is in traditional plantation model. while the other eighty percent is formed by cooperatives of smallholders.

The company-owned tea fields are visibly defined. The neatly pruned plantation fields are a clear contrast from the “freestyle” patchwork of the cooperative’s land. At the end of the day, all of the green leaf passes through the same factory. Sorwathé is certified fair-trade. Rainforest Alliance and Ethical Tea Partnership. Recent estimates suggest that around 10,000 families are now sustained by the project.

Gisovu Tea Estate Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

The estate is situated at an altitude of 7,500 feet above sea level. And close to the furthers source of the River Nile in the nearby Nyungwe Forest, the oldest ice age forest in Africa. Gisovu Tea Company Limited is a part of the Mcleod Russel Group.

Gisovu has ideal growing conditions for producing some of the finest teas in the world and are highly sought after for their briskness. Flavor and exceptional quality. This farm was adjudged the overall winner at the 2011 Africa Tea Convention held at Mombasa, Kenya and was also the winner of the best PF grade tea at the 2013 Tea Convention held in Kigali.

This tea is an excellent self-drinking tea and is not blended with other teas or substances, scents and /or flavorings. Teas from Gisovu are described by a leading tea merchant and retailer in the UK as “Deliciously crisp and refreshing with a rich golden color, this really is one of the world’s finest black teas”.

The world’s finest black teas.

Silverback is the retail trademark for the premium tea that Gisovu produce. Tea estate in Rwanda, Silverback tea is not blended; it is a single estate tea from Gisovu tea estate. Almost all of the 2.2 million kgs of tea produced by us are sold to established tea buyers and blenders worldwide, but we are keen to give tea lovers an opportunity to taste and enjoy a fresh cup of single estate Gisovu tea. We do not use pesticides of any sort in Gisovu tea estate. Gisovu currently produces CTC (Crush Tear and Curl) tea and Orthodox teas on order. Gisovu is a Rain Forest Alliance certified tea estate and Gisovu tea factory is HACCP22000 certified. Farm Tours Rwanda, Agritourism

When processing the tea is graded into different grades which major grades are:

Leaves and granules

• BP1: Broken Pekoe 1 forms about 12–14% of the total production. It has the largest size. The liquors are a bit light in body but with encouraging flavoring characteristics
• PF1: Pekoe Fanning 1. This is about 58–60% and forms the bulk of the production. Its made up of black grainy particles slightly smaller in size than the BP1 grade.
• Fngs1 (Fannings): The mixture has traces of black tea and large amount of smallish cut fibres often sifted out of the primary grades. F1 forms about 3–4% of the production and quite useful in tea bags due to its quick brewing, strong flavour and good colour.

Fine particles

• PD: Pekoe Dust. It forms 10–12% of the production, often black and finer than the PF1 often with thick liquors and aroma.
• Dust: Made up of tiny bits of broken leaf often used to brew strong tea quickly and popular for the tea bags.
• Dust1: This is made up of the smallest particles and form about 4–6% of the total production.

Nursery and Field management

Rwandan tea nurseries are established in a way that the young plants can be raised. Under controlled conditions of; light, water, and temperatures, pests, diseases and weeds control. The tea nurseries are strategically located.  In order to provide maximum ease in management and good establishment of the plants. The following basic requirements are normally observed when raising a tea nursery:

• Their sites are near a suitable and adequate water source, they are sheltered from prevailing wind,
• Their sites are close to sources of suitable soil for easy filling, on sloppy areas, the sites face the sun, valleys and areas prone to frost should be avoided.
• The site areas are accessible and secure.

The importance of Agritourism in Rwanda

Agritourism gives farmers a chance to farmers to learn about the new techniques. However, When it comes to farming, and this has greatly improving their output when it comes to agriculture.

It is a source of revenue to the government through the many tourists who come in the area.

It is used as an education Centre. For both farmers and those who want to learn about the different crops grown.

Agritourism is used to preserve land for future purposes. For example, if trees are planted, they last for a long time but the land remains active.

Note that most of the Agritourism farms in Rwanda are privately owned by the different individuals. That actually want to earn more income to sustain their livelihood.

Way forward for the country

Agro-tourism in Rwanda is on the rise and given good conditions. It will be the highlight for most of the tourists who visit Rwanda in the next few years. It is a good venture for the country. And if you are planning your trip to Rwanda, be sure you do not miss out on the safari packages. That offer a tour to the different farms. That are located in the different areas of the country.

Agro tourism in Rwanda is mainly carried out in the Country. And it has started attracting many tourists. Who go on safaris to see the beautiful gardens. That are always on display for both the locals and the tourists. Who visit to see the different techniques that are used in the farms.

There are different farms in Rwanda. That are meant for Agro-tourism and most of these are owned by individuals. That want to earn some extra income to boost their farms. A few of these farms have been listed. So that, we get to know what they do and the crops that are planted in the area.