Progreso has provided its first loans to three Rwandan coffee cooperatives. All three loans have been repaid in full, and for two of the cooperatives, the financing helped make something possible for the first time: exporting their own coffee internationally.
Buhanga, Kigembe and Nyampinga were the first three Rwandan coffee cooperatives to receive financing from Progreso. The loans helped strengthen their working capital, enabling them to purchase coffee from farmers, meet buyer contracts and pursue new market opportunities. For Buhanga and Kigembe, this support helped pave the way for their first international coffee exports, with shipments reaching buyers in the United Kingdom. Nyampinga, meanwhile, used the financing to expand its international exports, increasing shipments from one container in 2023 to three in 2026. The three cooperatives are part of a wider group of six Rwandan cooperatives supported by Progreso, representing more than 3,600 farmers.
From access to finance to access to markets
Coffee cooperatives need working capital to purchase coffee from farmers, cover processing and logistics costs, and meet buyers’ quality and documentation requirements before receiving payment for their exports. Access to finance helps bridge this gap. With the necessary funds available, cooperatives can purchase coffee from their members, fulfil orders and pursue opportunities in international markets.
The results are visible in the cooperatives’ business performance. Kigembe nearly doubled its sales between 2025 and 2026, while Buhanga increased the volume of red cherries purchased from farmers by around 65% over the same period. These developments reflect how access to finance and international markets can help cooperatives strengthen their businesses and create opportunities for their farmer members.
Better market access, better returns for farmers
Access to international markets has also brought better prices for farmers. In 2025, Buhanga and Kigembe sold their coffee on the domestic market, where green coffee fetched USD 4.74 per kilogram. In 2026, they accessed international markets, where the price reached USD 7.10 per kilogram. At Kigembe, the price paid to farmers increased from USD 0.45 to USD 0.74 per kilogram of red cherries between 2025 and 2026. For farmers, higher payments can make a tangible difference to household incomes and the ability to invest in their families and farms.
Esperance Nyiransabimana, a coffee farmer supplying Kigembe Cooperative, increased the volume of red cherries she delivered to the cooperative’s coffee washing station from 2,257 kilograms in 2024 to 4,000 kilograms in 2025.
“I never expected that coffee from my farm would be appreciated by people in Britain,” she explained.
Her experience illustrates how stronger cooperatives and improved market access can create opportunities for farmers to increase their production and benefit from the coffee they grow.
A foundation for continued growth
All three loans have been repaid in full, marking a positive first step for Progreso’s financing operations in Rwanda. These first operations provide a foundation for continued collaboration with cooperatives as they strengthen their businesses, develop market relationships and create opportunities for the farmers they represent.
For Buhanga and Kigembe, the financing helped open the door to international exports. For Nyampinga, it supported the expansion of existing export activities. Together, these experiences demonstrate how access to finance, combined with market opportunities, can help cooperatives build stronger businesses and deliver greater value to their farmer members.
