HON. MINISTER MUKESHIMANA LAUDS SORWATHE FACTORY FOR ITS CONTRIBUTION TO RWANDA’S TEA INDUSTRY GROWTH

The Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources, Dr Gerardine Mukeshimana has lauded SORWATHE factory for its significant investment in Rwanda’s tea industry that has tremendously improved lives of tea growers in particular, and contributed a lot to the country’s economy in general.

Founded in 1975 in Kinihira Sector of Rulindo District, with tea production commencing in 1978; today, SORWATHE is the second biggest factory after Mulindi. It has a processing capacity of 3,600 MT per year.

“When we look back at Kinihira now and what it was in 1975, the beneficial impact Sorwathe has made to the population is quite significant and the achievements are incomparable” Minister Mukeshimana says.

The factory exports increased from 2,834 tons in 2012 to 3,109 tons in 2016 with the export revenues of 7,243,881 USD. The market is through direct sales (80%), Mombasa auction (10%) and value added sales (10%).

In addition, SORWATHE is the first tea factory in Rwanda to manufacture orthodox and green tea. It currently produces high quality green, black, and white teas for local and international markets.

Currently, the company contributes up to 12% of National Tea Production with high productivity of 12,867 kg/ha. The Company has an industrial bloc of 285 ha and 959 ha of small holders’ plantations organized in ASSOPTHE cooperative.The cooperative owns 13.3% shares in the tea factory since 2009.

Sorwathe has also created over 3,500 employment opportunities for the community around Kinihira and Assopthe the Tea Cooperative which supplies Green Leaf to Sorwathe provides job opportunities to around 6,000 more in the villages around.

Together with NAEB and Rulindo District, SORWATHE is helping farmers to expand Tea cultivation up to 300 ha in 6 years. The investment made to plant tea will be paid back by the farmers from year 6 onwards over a period of 15 years with no interest.

In addition, Sorwathe has invested in construction of a Green Tea Factory to increase its Green Tea production. The work is in progress and will be inaugurated in March 2018.

Sorwathe has also undertaken many Corporate Social Responsibility activities which include supporting Girinka programme participation every year.

“We are grateful for this support that aims at bettering the wellbeing of tea farmers’ families,” the Minister says.

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