Meet Euphrosine Mugeni Niyidukunda, founder and MD of an agro-processing startup based in Huye District, Rwanda. Every year, smallholder farmers in her region lose tons of avocados due to insufficient markets and a lack of storage. She established Avocare Ltd, a factory that transforms fresh avocados into premium avocado oil for cooking and cosmetics to solve the avocado post-harvest losses. “At home and in the neighborhood, we had so many avocados, but most of them would rot due to a lack of a market. Sometimes we would feed them to pigs,” she says. In 2018, while studying at the University of Rwanda, Euprosine came up with the idea to process avocados into oil.
She entered and won a youth konnekt competition, using the prize to set up her company, Avocare Ltd. Avocare Ltd now produces a line of oils under the brand name Green Diamo using avocados sourced from local farmers in Huye District. Their products include: GD Extra Virgin Avocado Oil, used mainly for salads GD
Salads GD refined avocado oil is used for cooking and frying. Her solution also improves farmer incomes and creates local jobs, especially for women and youth. Since launching, they’ve built strong supply partnerships and are ready to scale production to meet growing demand.“We partner with smallholder farmers. The supply us with avocados, and we make surethey are paid on time,” Euprosine explains. They’re now seeking support to expand their capacity and bring Green Diamo Rwandan avocado oil to regional and international markets. “The key is not just farming, but making sure what you grow gains value. That’s how agriculture moves forward,” She concludes.
Euphrosine’s story is a great example of how agricultural innovation can change lives and boost a country’s economy.
Jean Bernard MUKUNDENTE