RUGOFARM company is leading a development project in Burundi to establish a network for production of essential oils.
It is directed in partnership with the growers of Cibitoke province, in the northwest area of the country, for development of patchouli, with ASTIER DEMAREST providing technical and marketing assistance.

The project, ESSENTIAL OILS IN BURUNDI, participates in a movement to diversify Burundi’s export revenues with high-value-added products in order to assist in elevating the standard of living for local populations and in reducing poverty in rural areas.

RUGOFARM, an agro-industrial conglomerate established in Rugombo in 1991, today consists of a 79-person team distributed among agricultural development, distillation, and administration.

With a vision of exporting 10 tonnes of patchouli essential oil annually, the venture projects putting 3,000 growers in place by 2016 and formalizing the partnership effort through research into a Fair Trade certification.