Tea exports drop by 32% #Rwanda

Rwanda's tea export revenues dropped by 31.6
per cent in September to $2.75m from $4.02m in
August, the National Agricultural Exports Board
(NAEB) has said. Figures from the exports board
also indicate that export volumes fell by 31.5 per
cent over the period to 1,124.3 tonnes compared
to the 1,164 tonnes shipped out in August.
The export price per kilogramme was at $2.45
during the two months. Jean Damascene
Gasarabwe, the head of tea division at NAEB,
attributed the decline to the 'extended dry season'
that affected production countrywide. He added
that the downward trend was expected to
continue this month. He was, however,
optimistic that tea export earnings would improve
in November because of the current rain season
which will boost production.
Tea export volumes stood at 22,563 tonnes last
year from 20,300 tonnes in 2011. Also, owing to
relatively good prices last year, export revenues
from tea rose from $61.1m in 2011, to $63.9m in
2012. Gasarabwe said they were targeting to earn
$147m from the crop by 2017, after expanding
plantations.
Rwanda's tea has steadily acquired international
acclaim and attracted more foreign direct
investments, the most recent by Scotland's
second-richest man, Sir Ian Wood, who earlier
this year announced plans to inject £7.5m in the
sector.
Most of the tea (60 per cent) is sold at the
Mombasa auction, with a small percentage being
bought by individual buyers (37 per cent), while 3
per cent of the tea is sold locally. It is mainly
exported to Pakistan, Sudan, Russia, Egypt,
Nigeria, the UK, Ireland, Afghanistan and the
United Arab Emirates.
The sector employs over 50,000 farmers who
earn between Rwf123 and Rwf155 per kilo they
sell to tea companies.