Bananas Remain Rwanda’s Top Crop by Production Volume.
Bananas remained Rwanda’s leading crop by total production during the 2026 Season B, with output reaching 1.23 million tonnes, according to new agricultural statistics.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda (NISR), compiled in collaboration with the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), show that banana production increased from 1,166,247 tonnes in Season B of 2025 to 1,231,202 tonnes in the same season of 2026.
Despite beans occupying the largest cultivated area among the major crops surveyed, bananas generated the highest overall production.
Beans covered 333,735 hectares, followed by bananas at 250,772 hectares, cassava at 192,305 hectares, maize at 94,823 hectares, sweet potatoes at 84,775 hectares, potatoes at 48,424 hectares and rice at 17,534 hectares.
Cassava ranked second in total production, although its output declined slightly from 852,541 tonnes in Season B of 2025 to 846,963 tonnes in 2026. Sweet potato production also fell, from 652,515 tonnes to 641,667 tonnes.
Potato production, meanwhile, rose from 314,093 tonnes to 331,963 tonnes, while beans increased from 240,721 tonnes to 243,775 tonnes.
Maize production grew from 117,711 tonnes to 122,370 tonnes, while rice recorded a stronger increase, rising from 72,976 tonnes in 2025 to 80,325 tonnes in 2026.
The statistics also show differences in productivity per hectare.
Cassava recorded the highest yield per hectare among the crops surveyed, although its productivity declined from 14.4 tonnes per hectare in 2025 to 14.0 tonnes in 2026.
Banana productivity remained unchanged at 12.4 tonnes per hectare. Sweet potato yields increased from 8.1 to 8.2 tonnes per hectare, while potato yields rose from 6.8 to 6.9 tonnes.
Rice recorded the largest improvement in yield, increasing from 4.1 to 4.6 tonnes per hectare.
Maize productivity remained at 1.3 tonnes per hectare, while beans remained at 0.7 tonnes per hectare.
