Gisovu Tea
GI Type:
Food
GI Status:
Potential
Right Holder / Association:
n/a
GI Identifier:
RWGI000000
Type of Product:
Tea
- English
- Français
Characteristics / Features
Gisovu black tea is known for its mild flavor, unlike Kenyan strong teas, its very fine granularity, its aroma and its color brilliance (unlike the dark black Kenyan teas).
Production and Processing
The quality reputation of Gisovu Tea refers to the specific natural conditions of production, in particular the altitude that gives a high-quality tea, unlike tea plants grown in swamps that have higher productivity. The manual and fine harvesting (two leaves in addition to the bud, instead of three) is also a quality criterion.
The farmers are organized in a collective structure, the COOTHEGIM, allowing them to carry out collective actions and to ensure the continuity of the production of the green leaf.
Gisovu Tea is sold in two markets: the local (domestic) market and the international market (the Mombassa auction market in Kenya).
Link with the Territory
The local economy is mainly based on the agricultural sector which occupies more than 97% of the inhabitants of the site. Of all the crops cultivated in Gisovu, tea cultivation is by far the most important and supports about 50% of households, from handicraft upstream of tea plantations (picking tools and baskets), producers and employees of the plant that processes green leaf in black tea.
The tea production in Gisovu is directly related to the specific natural conditions and resources present on the production area: tea growing is practiced mainly at about 1700 m above the sea level on the hillsides, with about 7 hours a day of sunshine, an air humidity of about 80%, abundant and regular rainfall all year round with an average of about 2500 mm/year and a well-drained and acidic soil.