Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd commended tea farmers for their dedication in producing and harvesting the best quality tea leaves for the factories. This has along the years improved the quality of tea manufactured at the tea factories to the extent that Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd is recognized globally today as a producer of some of the best 10 black tea in the world.
The most recent tea accolades from the 4th East African Tea Convention and Exhibition were shown to the tea farmers. The best 3 prizes out of 4 were bestowed to Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd tea marks at this important function where 224 factories had competed on quality lines. The improved tea quality has also impacted financially the tea farmers as tea leaf price is calculated on income generated by the finished product. Farmers working with Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd were happy to report how they have benefited from the improved prices.
Reminiscing on his tea journey, Jean Bosco Zirimwabagabo, one of the farmers said: “tea has proved to be as lucrative to me as a productive cow being milking every day.” As Zirimwabagabo explained, he started tea farming by earning 14,000 Rwandan Francs a month, which grew to 20,000 Rwandan francs and brought a lot of transformations into his life.
As a result, he lives in a decent house, owns cattle among other valuable properties which he attributes to tea growing.
Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd General Manager, Mr. Alain Kabeja, said that the prime objective of the tea business is to advance the economy and wellbeing of tea farmers.
“Our purpose is to create wealth and wellbeing of citizens by providing jobs, safe water, building nurseries and supporting the needy among others. We, however, request farmers to take care of tea plantations to substantially boost quality and quantity to maintain clients’ trust and to enable Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd tea marks to continue to lead the market,” he advised.
Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd General Manager was happy to report that Kitabi, a tea mark selling under the company, sold one of its tea grades at a record price of US$ 6.27 per kg, a first in the history of the Mombasa tea auction market.
During the celebrations, tea farmers were awarded livestock, bicycles, radios… among others for their outstanding performance for boosted and improved tea harvest.
Mr. Alain Kabeja, Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd General Manager, commended farmers’ efforts towards increased quantity and quality of tea. “We organize this event annually to hail farmers as key partners for their significant contribution towards boosting quality and quantity of tea,” he noted.
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