OCIR, (Office des Cultures Industrielles du Rwanda),
was created by parliamentary law on 30/07/1964
to promote the development of Agricultural industrial
crops such as tea, coffee, cocoa, pyrethrum, and
others within the then ministry of Agriculture.
The tea department within OCIR was created in
1974, and OCIR-THE as a parastatal organisation
in charge of the tea sector in Rwanda was created
in 1975.
The following twelve tea estates were established
in the year indicated : (1)Mulindi 1962, (2)Shagasha
1969, (3)Pfunda 1972, (4)Gisakura 1975, (5)Kitabi
1977, (6)Mata 1981, (7)Rubaya 1979, (8)Nyabihu
1980, (9)Gisovu 1983, (10)Nshili-kivu 1981, (11)Cyohoha-Rukeri
1972 and SORWATHE 1978.
The first nine units are tea factories with plantation
while the tenth and eleventh are tea estates a
without factory and whose green leaves are processed
respectively in Mata and SORWATHE factories.
The latter is a co-venture between OCIR-THE, the
Rwandan Development Bank and private shareholders,
who hold majority shares. All the other nine factories
are government owned through OCIR-THE but they
are in the process of being privatised
The estates are located in different provinces
all over the country and are therefore a source
of income to a large section of the Rwandan population.
Furthermore where those estates are located they
contribute to the maintenance of infrastructure
such as roads and bridges that link up different
parts of the country.
But, perhaps, the major contribution of tea sector
to the economic development of the country is
the foreign exchange earnings. (which amount to
about USD 20 million per annum).
2. Mandate of OCIR-THE
OCIR-THE is charged with the following main responsabilities
:
- To develop and promote tea growing and tea production
in Rwanda.
- To execute all necessary activities related
to tea plantations, management of tea factories,
marketing and sale of made tea.
- To supervise tea enterprises whatever type they
may be.
- To manage funds generated from the export of
tea.
3. OCIR-THE relations with farmers
OCIR-THE plantations are made up of (1) Industrial
Blocks ( belonging to the parastatal), (2)Coopthe
(Cooperatives of Tea farmers) and (3)small scale
holders in various proportions.
Relations with tea farmers are very good. OCIR-THE
has up until now helped them to acquire inputs
such as fertilisers at affordable prices and on
credit.
The green leaf price per kg has been increased
this year by more than 20 % to 9,5 cents US per
kg from 7,8 cents US a kilo. This increase will
go a long way toward improving the welfare of
the small scale holders.
Other areas in which OCIR-THE assists the tea
farmers include :
- Helping them to acquire appropriate clothing
for plucking.
- Building tea collecting centres.
- Promoting work in cooperatives so as to enjoy
the advantages of collective participation.
- Training them to look after their plantations
through extension workers.
4. Marketing and
tea promotion
OCIR-THE teas are sold through auction and to
private buyers. Today about 80 % of the teas are
sold through Mombasa auction (the second largest
auction centre in the world) thus giving Rwanda
teas a wider scope of exposure. The remaining
20 % are sold to private buyers based mainly in
Mombasa (Kenya) but whose clients are all over
the world.
· 60 - 65 % of Rwanda teas go to Pakistan,
of the 20 % sold to private buyers, the main grades
from the top gardens are mainly sold in UK and
USA. The balance is sold to Egypt, Middle East,
Former Soviet Union Estates, South Africa, Sudan
and Somalia.
Promotion of tea is one of the responsibilities
of OCIR-THE. It does it through a variety of ways
such as print media as well as trade fairs and
international conferences aimed at highlighting
the merits of Rwanda tea, which we believe, is
the best tea in the world.
Factors contributing to the unique quality
of Rwanda tea.
A few factors are noteworthy in relation to the
quality of Rwanda teas.
OCIR-THE has tea planted in areas of high altitude,
varying from 1500 to 3000 metres which are ideal
for tea growing. Rwanda tea zones are endowed
with favourable natural environment and well distributed
rainfall. Given these conditions; production of
tea in Rwanda goes on all year round.
Having planted some of the best clones and using
efficient and dilligent plucking, OCIR-THE produces
some of the brightest, briskest and most aromatic
teas in the world .
The method of manufacture used in Rwanda is cut,
tear and curl (CTC). This method produces finer
tea which in turn provides more cuppage per unit
weight than the bigger leaf from other methods
of manufacture.
The roads in the tea growing areas are regularly
maintained to ensure speedy delivery of green
leaf to the manufacturing factories. The entire
Rwanda production is black tea.
Grades of tea produced by OCIR-THE
PF1 Pekoe Fannings 1
PD Pekoe Dust
D1 Dust 1
BP1 Broken Pekoe 1
BP Broken Pekoe
PF Pekoe Fannings
D Dust
F1 Fannings 1
F Fannings
BMF Broken Mixed Fannings
BMFD Broken Mixed Fannings Dust
Achievements and future of OCIR-THE
From the ravage of the war that ended in 1994,
the following major works have been achieved:
- Complete rehabilitation of four tea factories,
Mulindi, Mata, Kitabi and Shagasha.
- Repairs of five factories, Gisakura, Gisovu,
Pfunda, Rubaya and Nyabihu.
- Rehabilitation and exploitation of all tea plantations
and drainage of swamps.
- Provision of required transport for tea green
leaf and made tea.
- Mobilisation of manpower for the tea industry,
reviving tea co-operatives and small tea holders
all aimed at increasing production.
- Basic training of staff in key plantation and
factory production activities.
- Substantial increase of salaries, tea green
leaf price and wages.
The current Government policy is to privatise
all the nine factories starting with two estates
(Mulindi and Pfunda) which will have been privatised
by the end of the first half of year 2003. Others
will follow progressively. This decision was made
by the government under the programme of economic
liberalisation.
With the process of the privatisation of the estates,
OCIR-THE mission will be changing in order to
give the tea growers the freedom they need to
manage their tea and to enable the government
to withdraw from the sale of tea and the control
of the factories.
OCIR 
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