Rwandan tea farmers are worried about possible loss as coronavirus restrictions have made it difficult to follow processing rules.

Rwanda has been leading in production of the best tea, fetching a premium price compared with others because of the unique test that buyers are looking for.

Tea value chain players’ attributes Rwandan high-quality tea on the favourable climate condition along with farmers’ strict enforcement of best practice in tea picking.

For instance, tea leaves have to be rushed into the treating process or cold facilities after being plucked in the shortest time possible to produce high quality tea.

Farmers say this process has become difficult to follow as it is taking longer to reach the processing facilities due to social distancing rules as few farmers are able to work.

“We are working as usual while observing the healthy guidelines in the plucking because the process was even before the pandemic carried out without tea pluckers gathering together...,”

Aliane Uwimbabazi, a tea farmer in Rubavu district told Rwanda Today. Concern among farmers is rising that the longer the tea takes to reach factories, the more its quality is likely to be compromised.

“We are facing challenges because farmers pluck tea in small teams...,” It is taking longer time to receive the tea production at the collection centres as of now only 10 people are allowed to meet at once in the collection centre, which was not the case before the pandemic, and the quality may have lost during the process...,”Jonathan Nsengimana, manager of Pfunda Tea Farmers’ co-operative, which brings together over 1,700 tea farmers from Rubavu district in the western province told Rwanda Today.

The price of Rwandan tea on the international market has dropped. A kilo of tea has dropped to Rwf2,375 in June from Rwf2,467 in the same period of last year. The Rwanda National Agriculture Export Board largely attributes the decline to international demand.

“Prices dropped globally, that's the main cause,” Pie Ntwali, spokesperson of Rwanda's National Agricultural Export Development Board under Ministry of Agriculture and Animal Resources, told Rwanda Today.

Despite the price dropping, Rwanda’s tea has continued to sell at a premium at the Mombasa auction, outdoing price offers on Kenya’s produce.