Burundi Turns To Coffee Revenues To Fund Petroleum Imports

Makamba, August 23, 2026 - Burundi's ruling CNDD-FDD party said it is mobilizing coffee farmers to help finance petroleum imports, aiming to ease chronic fuel shortages that have disrupted the economy.

Secretary General Reverien Ndikuriyo told a press conference in Makamba Commune on August 22 that coffee production is expected to reach 20,000 tons this year, up from previous levels of 7,000 to 9,000 tons. At about $7 per kilo on international markets, exports could generate roughly $140 million.

Ndikuriyo said Burundi needs about $15 million per month for petroleum products and that CNDD-FDD members, who he said represent 96 percent of the population, have set a five-year goal starting in 2024 to use coffee earnings to cover fuel needs.

He linked current shortages to global supply disruptions, including conflict affecting the Strait of Hormuz. For Rwanda's neighborhood, fuel stress in Burundi can affect cross-border transport, regional trade flows and humanitarian logistics in the Great Lakes.