Rwanda-based company Lipton Teas and Infusions Limited is set to begin selling its Kibeho Garden Mark Tea through the Mombasa auction starting Tuesday. The announcement was made during a launch event held in Mombasa.
The company anticipates that this move will create economic opportunities for tea farmers in Rwanda and benefit stakeholders along the value chain.
“The upcoming auction on June 18, 2024, will mark the first sale of Lipton Teas and Infusions Rwanda Limited’s teas at the Mombasa auction, representing a significant achievement for the company and the region,” said Sylvia Ten Den, Lipton Teas and Infusions head of plantations, Africa.
“This milestone underscores our commitment to excellence in tea production and our dedication to contributing positively to the local economy.”
The sale of the tea follows the completion of the Kibeho Tea Factory, enabling Lipton Teas and Infusions Limited to begin full-scale production, according to the company spokesperson.
The company operates on an 800-hectare (1,976-acre) estate, with 730 hectares (1,803 acres) dedicated to tea plantations. The first tea bushes were planted in 2016, after an agreement between Lipton Teas and Infusions and the Rwandan government.
Currently, the factory receives green leaf from more than 2,500 smallholder farmers across Nyaruguru district in Rwanda’s Southern Province.
This number is expected to grow to over 7,000, impacting 30,000 lives across the tea supply chain. The spokesperson highlighted that this process will facilitate cross-border trade and create substantial commercial opportunities for various industry players, including farmers, transporters, traders, and exporters in the tea supply chain in both Kenya and Rwanda.
“This is a win-win for everyone involved. Rwandan tea farmers will gain access to a wider market and potentially higher prices through the Mombasa auction,” she said.
The company, she said, is additionally leading the development of a self-sustaining ecosystem for green and or low nitrogen fertilisers in the region, enabling a step-change in the finances of growers as fertiliser is typically among the largest costs of production and achieve an acceleration toward net zero for the entire industry.
“We’re also pioneering the development of sustainable practices, like using renewable energy and green fertilisers, to reduce our carbon footprint and achieve environmental goals,” she said.
Investment, Trade and Industry CS Rebecca Miano said the collaboration between Kenya and Rwanda in promoting sustainable tea farming is crucial for long-term health of the industry and environment.
In a speech read by head of EPZA Coast Francis Mutegi, she said the two nations must continue to champion practices that protect their national resources, while ensuring the economic viability of their tea farmers.
“In Kenya, sustainability is at the core of our agricultural practice. The Kenyan government continues to support initiatives that promote high standards and sustainable practices, ensuring our tea remains the benchmark for excellence,” Miano said.
Kenya, she said, continues to pride herself on being one of the world’s leading tea producing countries, with the tea industry in the country contributing significantly to the GDP.
Tea exports in Kenya, she said, contribute approximately 23 per cent of total export earnings and employ more than three million people, both directly and indirectly.
“The introduction of the Kibeho Garden Mark Tea into the Mombasa auction will undoubtedly facilitate cross-border trade and create substantial commercial opportunities for several industry players,” Miano said.
“I am confident that it will make a significant impact in the market. Let us celebrate this milestone and look forward to the many successes that lie ahead.”
Tea Buyers Association chairman Peter Kimanga welcomed the entrance of the Kibeho Garden Mark Tea into the Mombasa auction, saying Rwanda has been producing high quality tea.
He said consumers want high quality tea and will not compromise on quality and the tea auction in Mombasa is attractive because it provides them with a variety of high quality teas.
“We want to get the best teas through the Mombasa auction because this will create more employment and more value addition because we are able to get variety,” Kimanga said.
“We have a shortage of top-quality tea at the moment, so we want more because our buyers are not compromising on quality, it is good tea or nothing.”
