Rwandan tea exports surged in both volume and revenue last year on the back of favourable weather conditions and the higher global commodity prices.

In a new analysis of the tea sector in 2017, the National Agricultural Export Promotion Board (NAEB) said the country earned US$84.3 million from tea exports in 2017 (US$6 million higher than the government projection), up from US$63.4 million in 2016.

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The NAEB attributes the higher returns to the increase in global tea prices from US$2.60/kg in 2016 to US$3.21/kg in 2017.

“The good performance of tea sector was also driven by the expansion of tea plantations, farmer implementation of best practices in tea growing, regular training for farmers, timely and appropriate application of fertilisers, as well as the good rains in the tea growing zones in 2017,” the report said.

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