Tanzania tea penetrates global market directly

DAILY NEWS Reporter

THE penetration of Tanzania tea directly into the global market has now been made possible by the new investor into the industry, Rift Valley Tea Solutions.

Rift Valley Tea Solutions General Manager, Mr Stephen Anyango said in Dar es Salaam yesterday that the company will among others address market problems to guarantee farmers high income.

“The major aim of investing in Tanzania is to explore the global markets particularly Europe and United Arab Emirates (UAE) where Tanzania tea is most favourite,” he said, adding that this will enable farmers enjoy high income from tea exports.

He said his company will ensure Tanzania tea brand penetrates the outside market as opposed to the past where Mombasa tea auction market was the only depended in the region.

He said to explore fully the tea market his company has underscored the need to empower farmers with farm inputs, loans provision, infrastructure in farming areas and servicing huge debts left by the outgoing investor.

Furthermore, he said the company has installed five processing plants that have created jobs to the youths which will foot all costs including production of the crop and its harvest.

“The company has in this fiscal year set aside 56m/- for farmers to add value and produce grade one tea, the initiative that will also benefit the government in terms of various taxes and charges,” he added.

Similarly, this year the company is set to employ locals to work in the factories and in the sections of transportation, processing and others.

They have also appealed to the government through the Ministry of Agriculture that Tanzania is endured with the luck of having a fertile land that can be used to cultivate fruits as well as grain crops.

They said that Tanzania has ample arable land that is fertile and needs no chemical farm inputs whereas crops that are now ignored such as avocados and could make Tanzania a mainstay producer as these products are very much needed in the export market to the countries such Russia, Poland, Iran, Syria, and some of the Middle East countries.