Issue link: http://read.dmtmag.com/i/694455
20 STiR tea & coffee industry international / Issue 3, 2016 (June/July) inputs and emphasis on the production of value-added products has also helped to increase performance. Tea prices have risen in recent months and Rwandan teas have fetched higher prices than Kenyan teas in the Mombasa auctions and did better than seven other countries offering similar teas. This is partly due to the smaller quantities that Rwanda produces. Increased production could cause a drop in prices in the longer term. However, the National Agriculture Export Board (NAEB) has plans to increase the production of dry leaf to 3,000 tons per year and to increase export earnings to $94.9 million by 2018. who have worked on three other projects to convert tea factories in Si Lanka, drew up the plans and was also responsible for sourcing, importing and installing the machinery. SRI LANKA First Oolong Factory The Waldemar orthodox tea factory in Udapussellawa, owned by Finlay Tea Estates, has been converted by Browns & Co., Plc to an oolong factory. Previously, the factory manufactured only black teas but Finlay decided to change it to a green and oolong tea processing unit since these types of tea are in high demand and fetch high prices. The climate in this high altitude growing area is ideal for the production of flavory, aromatic oolongs which are becoming more and more popular amongst the consuming public. Loft space in the factory, previously required for the withering of the tea leaves over long periods, has been modified to release space for other activities, and structural alterations have made the internal workings of the factory more efficient. Finlay representa- tives were sent to Taiwan to learn how to make oolongs and experts from Taiwan were brought into Waldemar to train factory personnel. High quality machinery for process- ing oolong teas has been imported from Taiwan and China. The Plantation Support Service division of Browns, Brown & Co. builds first oolong factory Farmer Tea Schools The Ethical Tea Partnership, Taylors of Harrogate, Mother Parkers, and the International Trade Center (ITC) is delivering training to Ceylon tea farmers using an extension methodology that has not previously been used in the country. Sri Lanka's system of tea cultivation is changing. Tea estates have agreed to hand over small plots of land to their workers so that in three years' time, those workers will be in control of their own lives and will grow, manage, and sell their fresh leaf into the factories. For this major change to take place successfully, the new tea farmers need training, advice, and support, and this training initiative, introduced in Indone- sia and now widely used in Africa, gives small groups of farmers hands-on training to help them increase yields and quality, manage the land, and earn more from diversified crops. The first of the courses took place over four days. Participants from 10 selected estates attended. They were joined by planters from other estates who were eager to take part in the project. Senior and junior managers sat through all the course to show how seriously the Sri Lankan industry is taking this enterprise. The aim is to train local Sri Lankan growers to become trainers and to then take the training out to more farmers over the next three years and beyond. UAE New Dubai Tea Brand Before the end of 2016, the Dubai Multi Commodities Centre (DMCC) will Explaining the Sri Lankan work plan launch its own tea brand, Shay Dubai. DMCC executive chairman Ahmed Bin Sulayem announced the plan at the 6th Global Dubai Tea Forum held at the DMCC Tea Center. The aim is to try and understand what the consumer wants and the brand will consist of three flavors – Khaliji blend, Dubai Spirit, and Arabic breakfast. "Dubai is at the center of the tea-trading world, positioned between the growers to its east and the big markets to its west," said Bin Sulayem. "It has shown how important it is to implement and act upon strategies for long-term growth. In short, to deliver results. We are excited to share a first look at this premium product. Diversification into new products and markets is the essence of commerce in every sphere, but especially in a consumer product like tea." More details will be available later this year. UAE is launching Shay Dubai tea line Bettys strawberry cherry rose tisane UK Bettys New Herbals Bettys tearooms in Yorkshire have launched a new range of herbal infusions and rare teas to add to the range of teas and tisanes created for them by their tea buyers and blenders at Bettys and Taylors of Harrogate. The strawberry, cherry, and rose tisane combines the