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Luapula Province Permanent Secretary, Prudence Chinama-Kangwa, has expressed optimism over the renewed growth trajectory of Kawambwa Tea Estate, saying Government is eager to see the company reclaim its former dominance and flood the market with locally produced tea.
Speaking during an impromptu tour of the estate, Kangwa said the tea sub-sector remained a key economic driver for Kawambwa District.
According to a statement issued from Mansa on Sunday, Kangwa said reviving the outgrower scheme was critical to broadening participation and creating more jobs for farmers in surrounding communities.
She challenged management to boost production and visibility of Kawambwa Tea, stating that Government wants the brand to once again become a household name and the “talk of the day” on the local market.
Kangwa welcomed the company’s progress and urged management to do even more, assuring them of continued Government support to ensure Kawambwa Tea fully reclaims its place as a flagship agricultural enterprise in Luapula Province.
Kawambwa Tea Estate Finance Manager, Tachila Zulu, said the outgrower programme was being restructured to ensure sustainability, with plans to increase the number of participating farmers beyond the current two active outgrowers.
“Kawambwa Tea remains Zambia’s only fully integrated bulk tea producer, involved in plantation, harvesting, processing, packaging, selling and distribution,” Zulu said.
He noted that although competition exists in the packaged tea market, the company is equal to the task.
Zulu revealed that the estate had intensified value addition, expanding beyond traditional black tea to include lemon, ginger, cinnamon and herbal tea variants—an initiative aligned with the Government’s industrialisation agenda and aimed at boosting profitability.
“Kawambwa Tea currently operates two factories—the traditional and the modern plant—with sufficient capacity to meet market demand, and production this year has been strong, supported by a good harvest,” he added.
Zulu further disclosed that the estate had about 457 hectares under tea, with approximately 450 hectares fully mature, and employs between 650 and 800 workers.
He said annual production stood at 3.3 million kilogrammes of green leaf, translating to roughly 660,000 kilogrammes of processed tea.
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