Rwanda has imported 6,100 tons of vegetable oil from various countries, valued at approximately $8.41 million, equivalent to Rwf 12.4 billion. According to data from the World Integrated Trade Solution (WITS), a database of the World Bank that tracks international trade, these imports were made in the last two years. This comes as Rwanda continues to increase its production of sunflower seeds and provide farmers with reliable markets.
The import data for 2024 shows two categories of vegetable oil imports: crude oil and other vegetable oils. Crude oil imports totaled 1,440.93 tons, valued at $1.59 million, while other vegetable oil imports amounted to 4,658.68 tons, valued at $6.82 million. These categories include oils from ordinary sunflowers, but the data does not accurately reflect the total amount of vegetable oil consumed or produced in Rwanda.
Ukraine was the leading supplier of crude oil to Rwanda, exporting 1,152,680 liters valued at $1.202 million. Uganda followed with 192,000 liters valued at $275,740, and Austria with 96,170 liters valued at $115,860. These countries are among the top suppliers of vegetable oil to Rwanda.
Global sunflower seed production for 2024 was reported by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations, via 'Our World in Data', to be approximately 17.2 million tons in Russia, 11 million tons in Ukraine, 3.9 million tons in Argentina, and 2.35 million tons in China. In Africa, total sunflower seed production was 2.51 million tons, with Tanzania leading at 1.2 million tons, followed by South Africa at 632,000 tons, and Uganda at 285,000 tons.
Global sunflower seed production is expected to increase in 2026/2027, with projections indicating a 12% rise to 62.06 million tons, following two years of below-average production due to adverse weather conditions. The Oil World agency forecasts that if weather conditions improve, production could reach a record high of 62-63 million tons. Ukraine's production is expected to recover moderately but remain significantly lower than pre-war levels.
The fluctuations in global sunflower seed production, particularly in Ukraine, which is a key supplier of vegetable oil to Rwanda, are likely to impact the international market and, subsequently, Rwanda's market. Efforts to develop sunflower farming in Rwanda are underway, including the Ibihwagari Project implemented by EUCORD with funding from the Achmea Foundation.
The Ibihwagari Project, which started in 2022 and ended in 2025, trained 6,298 farmers, including 51% women, in sunflower farming, best practices for planting, caring for crops, harvesting, drying, and storing produce. These farmers, who are members of 32 cooperatives, produced 340.5 tons of sunflower seeds on 208 hectares of land, which was processed into 10,215 liters of virgin oil by one or two local oil processing plants.
Key points
- Rwanda imported 6,100 tons of vegetable oil worth $8.41 million in 2024 and 2025.
- Ukraine was the leading supplier of crude oil to Rwanda.
- Global sunflower seed production is expected to increase by 12% in 2026/2027.
