Organisation Rwanda Tea Authority
Alternate Name Ocir The
Abbreviation OCIR THE
Parent Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources
u.r.l. http://www.ocir-the.co.rw/
email ocirthe@rwanda1.com
Country Rwanda
Location Kigali
Address Headquarters at Gikondo, Kigali
Postal Address B.P. 1344
Telephone +250 051 47 97
Management u.r.l.  
Fax +250 051 47 96
Sector Industrial & Export Crop Production - General
Organisation Type African Public Sector
Status  
Stated Role A public parastatal charged with overseeing the production and marketing of tea in Rwanda.
Activities The tea industry is being privatised. A tea board will replace OCIR Thé, with responsibility for overseeing the development of the tea sector, coordinating discussions between factory owners and tea growers. A concern is that tea growers should not be exploited by the factories and to avoid this, a voluntary framework of cooperation is envisaged for the industry. It is envisaged that the factories will grow tea on the core plantation while also buying it from growers. The enterprises will also provide credit in kind and extension to the growers. These actions should lead to a large increase in processing capacity while retaining the high quality of Rwanda's tea.<P>http://www.ocir-;the.co.rw/
Geographical Focus  
Notes Tea Authority to Revamp Sector
The New Times (Kigali)
NEWS
7 November 2007
Posted to the web 7 November 2007
By John Gahamanyi and Frank Namara
Kigali
Rwanda Tea Authority (OCIR-THE), a public parastatal charged with overseeing the production and marketing of tea in Rwanda is to invest over Frw100m to revamp the tea sector.
The money will be invested in a new factory with modern machines. The aim is to add value on the tea produced in the country.
"The project is expected to kick start next month. And, the factory will be fully operational by March next year," the director of Finance OCIR-THE, Jonathan Bisengimana said.
The budgeting officer of OCIR-THE, Philbart Munyandinda also said that in their bid to increase productivity, they intend to increase tea plantation acreage in the country. They will also increase the capacity of factories in the country to handle more tea for both local and international markets.
Last year tea fetched over $25.2m compared to $21m and $18m in 2001 and 2000 respectively. So far total revenue collection from tea this year is $16.9m as of September and is expected to reach a record mark of $40.2m in 2008.
Bisengimana believes that Rwanda&#39;s tea quality will improve and it will help to fetch higher prices if the multi-million factory investment is completed.
About 70 per cent of OCIR-THE&#39;s tea is sold at the weekly Mombasa tea Auction. The rest (30 per cent) is sold to importers and domestic buyers.
In 2001, the average price at auction market in Mombassa was $1.6, but it has hiked to $3 per kilogramme this year. Government has promised to increasing productivity and marketing of tea through supervision and support to plantations.
[ The New Times (Kigali) - 7 November 2007 - http://allafrica.com/stories/printable/200711070869.html - Retrieved on 13 NOV 2007 ]
Current Positions
Position Name From To
Director of Finance Jonathan Bisengimana 2007  
Budgets
Donor From To Budget ($) Note
Links to Related Organisations
Parent Tree Ministry of Agriculture & Animal Resources
Government of Rwanda
Subsidiary Organisations  
Sibling Organisations Rwanda Institute of Science in Agriculture [16]
Rwanda Animal Resources Development Authority
Rwanda Agricultural Development Authority
Rwanda Sectoral Support Programme
Support Project for the Agricultural Transformation Strategic Plan
Finance & Internal Resources Unit
MINAGRI - Information & Community Technology Unit
Planning Policy & Capacity Building Unit
Rwanda Horticulture Development Authority
Institut Superieure d'Agriculture et d'Elevage de Busogo
Associated Organisations  
Donor Recipients  
Past Positions
Position Name From To
Managing Director - exact dates unknown Celestine Kayitare 2002 2005
Director General Alex Kanyankole 2006 2008
Record last updated on 11 MAR 2008