Rwanda: 2020 Was Not a Kind Year for Many Farmers, Consumers

The year 2020 brought significant changes, particularly in the economic and food markets due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic led to supply chain disruptions, panic buying, and price increases of commodities in Rwanda. In response, the government of Rwanda implemented measures such as food rationing and tariffs on commodities to control prices and prevent shortages. However, these measures did not apply to vegetables and fruits, leading to increased profits for traders and higher prices for consumers. The inflation rate in Rwanda rose by 11.5% between July 2019 and July 2020, primarily due to an increase in food and non-alcoholic beverage prices, caused by reduced production of commodities like beans and potato due to heavy rain, flooding, and disrupted supply from neighboring countries. Additionally, the transport sector experienced a 22.6% increase in bus transport fare due to reduced capacity to prevent the spread of Covid-19. The price of fruits like lemon, mango, and mandarin more than doubled due to supply shortage and disrupted trade, with lemon prices reaching Rwf2,000 per kilogramme at a peak, driven by the belief that lemon intake could boost immunity against Covid-19.