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Good Manufacturing Practices in OTB and Prothem

From 10 to 14 May 2021, ITC under MARKUP organised a training workshop on Good Manufacturing Practices for the five Office du Thé du Burundi (OTB) factories managers, their tea makers, and staff in charge of quality. The workshop was also attended by staff from Prothem in charge of industrial development, quality management and sales. 

The training workshop was organised in two stages: stage one on theoretical aspects and stage two being a field visit to Teza factory. 

The objectivesofthistrainingwereto:

  • Discuss practices, procedures, quality assurance, challenges and opportunities in the tea processing process in tea factories,
  • Share knowledge and experiences on tea processing, tea marketing and sustainable tea business practices,
  • Interact and network with the tea maker team.

The trainingfocused on:

  • Green leaf agronomy: plucking and post-plucking practices that impact on made tea quality, transport to factory and intake;
  • Tea processing: Withering and Maceration and Cutting; Fermentation and Drying; Support Services; Power, Boilers, Machinery Maintenance, Cleanliness & Hygiene;
  • Orthodox and Speciality Tea manufacture;
  • Tea marketing; and
  • Sustainability in tea production and processing.

In an interview with Agence des Publications Burundaises (APB), the Officer in charge of quality and certification at OTB said: 'This assistance will  contribute to Burundi producing an improved quality tea, which responds to consumers’ requirements. MARKUP assistance is therefore helping to upgrade Burundi’s tea.'