On 12 June 2026, a Government delegation led by Dr. Telesphore Ndabamenye, Minister of Agriculture and Animal Resources (MINAGRI), and including Claude Bizimana, CEO of NAEB, representatives from the Rwanda Agriculture Board (RAB), Karongi District leadership and other stakeholders, visited the Rugabano tea development programme in Karongi District.

Together with Samuel Nzeki Munyao, CEO of Silverback Tea Company, Austin Changazi, Operations Director of Rugabano Outgrowers Service Company (ROS), and Mr. Bikram Jeet Singh Gill, Senior Manager of Rugabano Tea Company (RTC), the delegation toured the factory, observing how green leaf is transformed into made tea before visiting tea fields and the ropeway infrastructure under construction.

Discussions focused on progress made under the tea expansion programme and opportunities to accelerate future growth. ROS highlighted challenges affecting implementation, including poor road infrastructure and land-use planning conflicts that are limiting tea expansion. The Minister and District leadership acknowledged these concerns and committed to engaging the relevant authorities to help address them.

Operated by Silverback Tea Company in collaboration with Luxmi Estates, RTC is among Rwanda's top-performing tea factories. In May 2026, NAEB recognised Rugabano for producing Rwanda's Best Grade D1 Tea, reinforcing its reputation for quality and premium positioning within Rwanda's tea sector.

The Minister encouraged farmers to expand tea cultivation and urged the factory to continue enhancing both the quantity and quality of its production.

During the 2025/26 financial year, 5,397 smallholder farmers cultivating approximately 2,000 hectares supplied 2.96 million kg of green leaf to Rugabano Tea Factory, earning more than RWF 1.74 billion (approximately USD 1.22 million) through green leaf payments, quality bonuses and special premium payments.

Looking ahead, the tea programme aims to support more than 12,000 smallholder farmers in Rugabano to establish approximately 4,000 hectares of tea over 15 years, with each hectare estimated to generate around USD 3,000 annually for farming households.