OLIVIER WEIDEMANN
RWANDA
While Cyohoha-Rukeri Tea Estate, owned by Joe Wertheim’s Tea Importers Inc., continues to produce organic orthodox back teas, other factories in Rwanda are also installing orthodox machinery so that they, too, can diversify from their traditional CTC blacks.
Rutsiro Estate, which was privatized in 2014 when acquired by Rwanda Mountain Tea Ltd., is certified organic and expected to start orthodox manufacture of black and green teas soon.
During a visit to Rutsiro, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources Dr. Gerardine Mukeshimana encouraged smallholders to plant improved seeds in order to maximize their crop, increase local agricultural production, and raise their earnings. The government hopes to lift all Rwandans out of poverty and aims to become a middle income country by 2020.
Tea growers have asked for high yielding clones to help increase productivity. Rukeri has set the trend by manufacturing quality orthodox tea from its own leaf and from leaf bought in from local smallholders.
Learn more: rwandamountaintea.com/