President Kagame received Sir Ian Wood, Chairman of the Wood Foundation which recently signed over majority ownership of Mulindi Tea Factory to over 5,000 farmers. The factory produces 18 million kilos of green leaf per year and becomes the first smallholder-owned tea factory in Rwanda.
On March 28, Prime Minister Dr. Edouard Ngirente presided over a handover ceremony of stakes in Mulindi Factory Company from the East African Tea Investments (EATI) owned by The Wood Foundation Africa to Gicumbi based smallholder farmer cooperatives (Cooperative du Theì Mulindi and Cooperative du Theì Villageois Mulindi).
In his remarks, Prime Minister thanked Sir Ian Wood, the Chairman of The Wood Foundation for all his philanthropic activities in tea business in Rwanda. He highlighted that The Wood Foundation has played a significant role in improving the livelihoods of the smallholder tea farmers and empowering rural communities through business development, capacity building and financing.
The Premier appreciated the contribution of The Wood Foundation to the entire tea sector in Rwanda and called upon cooperatives to whom, Mulindi Factory Company has been handed, to ensure the factory remains profitable and operates in the interests of the farmers. (End)