{{National Agriculture Export Development Board (NAEB) has trained 1,240 farmers on plucking standards.
The move is tailored to improving quality of produce and fetching a high price on regional and international markets.}}
Professional pluckers trained in 2012, were selected from 11 tea factories across Rwanda with 100 from each factory unlike in Mulindi where 200 pluckers were trained.
Francis Twagirayezu NAEB representative in Mombasa said Rwandan tea has been selling high at the Mombasa auction ranging between US$2.9 and US$5/kg for primary grades.
“Rwandan tea especially the liquor is always the best at the auction but the challenge as traders tell us are the fibres found mixed in the leaves which I think the training will address,” said Twagirayezu.
Improving farmers’ skills will not only boost their incomes but also promote more sustainable farming methods.
“I’m optimistic that once farmers master these standards, Rwanda tea can reap as much as US$6/kg at the auction,” he stressed.
According to the first auction on 2nd January, 2013 the first four teas that recorded the highest prices were from Rwanda (Gisovu) and one from Kenya, Githuthi.
Data is still being collected on how the training has impacted the quality. NAEB says it will make a follow up on the implementation of the skills acquired through the training.
Tea brokers from the Mombasa market will be visiting Rwanda and talk to processors, exporters as well as farmers to identify key challenges towards improving quality of Rwandan tea.
“We hope the feedback process from the market team and the decision by processors and exporters to increase wage rate for pluckers will contribute to high quality product from farmers,” said Alex Kanyankole Director General of NAEB.
Effective July, 2012 wage rate for pluckers was decided to be Rwf27/kg from Rwf25/kg and farmers pluck between 70 and 100 Kilograms.
The traditional major destinations of the teas sold at Mombasa auction have remained Egypt, Pakistan, UK, Sudan and Afghanistan that control about 70% of total amount of teas sold at the Mombasa auction.
However, strong demand is emerging from Russia, China, USA, Turkey, Iran, UAE and our producers should Endeavour to access these markets through direct sales.
It is said that there are 19 established tea-farmer organizations with total membership of 42,377.While tea plantations cover a total land area of 2, 294,26 ha across Rwanda.
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