The demand for Rwanda Tea is steadily expanding as new clients seek to sample the world’s best tea grown from the highlands of this East African nation.
National Agricultural Export Development Board (NAEB) said Thursday that the country has exported 2,029,132Kgs of Rwanda tea only in the month of May through East African Tea Trade Association based in Mombasa, Kenya.
“In the month of May 2021, through Mombasa’s Eatta , we exported 2,029,132Kg of RwandaTea at an average price of U$2.57/Kg. In the same period 2020, we had exported 1,410,535Kg at an average price of U$2.71/Kg. Despite the price decrease, total revenues increased by 26.6%,” NAEB said.
In Rwanda, Tea is planted on hillsides at a high altitude of between 1,900m and 2,500m, and on well-drained marshes at an altitude of between 1,550m and 1,800m.
Also read: Rwanda’s economic outlook 2021
Some of the best quality teas produced in Rwanda include; black tea, orthodox tea, white tea, green tea, organic tea and spicy tea.
Rwandan tea is much sought after in major markets of the Middle East, Pakistan, United Kingdom, Kazakhstan among others.
Rwanda has been steadily expanding its tea production volumes and quality through implementing best farming practices, proper organisation of farmers cooperatives and improved technology, handling among others.
In the 2019/2020 financial year, the country targeted to generate US$102M (about Rwf93 billion) from tea exports. In the financial year 2018/2019, the production fetched US$83M worth of export revenues.