The performance recorded by Bella Flowers Ltd, a Rwamagana-based company that ventures into production and export of fresh cut flowers, is good indication that Rwanda has huge potential in floriculture. Since its start in 2016, the company has generated Frw 10 billion and Frw 300 million from flower sales, mainly on export market.

According to Walter Muganga, Chief Finance Officer at Bella Flowers Ltd, the company currently grows 18 varieties of roses on 40 ha and they are expanding production area; which will be 45ha in the near future. The whole project now operates on 65 ha including the land under production and other project facilities.

Despite the constraints caused by COVID-19 constraints, Muganga says the company is looking at expanding their export target base as cargo flights resume.
“We are exporting 20 tons of flowers every week but we used to export around 30 tons of flowers per week before the Covid-19 pandemic. Things are now returning to normal business as cargo airlines are resuming their flights. So flower market is getting better,” he said last Friday during a visit to the flower farm by Minister of State in the Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources Prof. Jean-Chrysostome Ngabitsinze.

The Minister of State commended the flower company for showing the way in flower production in the country, and urged them to include research component in their activities in a bid to conduct research-based flower farming.

Prof. Ngabitsinze noted that the government is working together with the private sector so that more private actors can venture into floriculture business in the new future in order to boost this very lucrative industry.

Apart from taking Rwanda’s image on global scene of flower producers, Bella Flowers company has provided local residents with employment opportunities; thus improving their lives. The company currently employs about 700 workers.

Rachel Nyirahire, one of the workers at Bella Flowers, says she has improved her lives since she started working with the company.

“I used to depend on my husband before, but I am contributing to the family income. Apart from catering for my basic needs, I bought a dairy cow which now generates some money from milk sales,” she says.

Bella Flowers Ltd, which is owned by the government of Rwanda, was established with the main objective of investing in the production and export of fresh cut roses, targeting global markets.