Unlike diary beverages, tea with over 3000 varieties is the most consumed beverage after water.
According to the United Nations Fund and Agriculture Organisation Statistics for global production of leading tea producing countries, China tops with an average production of 1,000,130 tonnes, India with 900,094 tonnes and Kenya with an average of tonnes 303,308 .295,830 and 174,932 tonnes respectively recorded by Sri Lanka and Turkey as well.
This represents 75 percent of the world tea production market.
Ghana is not a major exporter of tea, though it has several herbs that could be exported. Sobolo, a Ghanaian popularly patronised beverage made from rosella flower is processed by Kroms as a tea bag filled with organic medicinal values. The first of its kind and an innovation the product has already made its way into various markets including Canada.
The refined sobolo tea bag weighs two grams and contains ten cups of rosella leaves.
To prepare the tea, it takes boiling water to soak the tea bag within four to five minutes.
One “sobolo” tea bag is enough for 10 cups of water and are caffeine free.
The tea bags go through production stages of drying, artisan blending of tea with mixture of herbs and whole organic fruits which finally goes through packaging
Kroms also produces Lemon, Lemongrass and guess what dawadawa into various teas.
Dawadawa is dried and blended with organic herbs and afterwards packaged in tea bags.
These teas come from organic certified herbal plant with no additives and preservatives which are grown on a 157-acre farmland sited at Mpakada in the Eastern Region, Aworasa-Asamankese in the Eastern Region and Abortia in the Volta Region.
Meet Georgina Koomson who grows her own herbs for the various teas she produces. The 2014 Greater Accra regional best farmer says the potential for the tea export market is enormous.
“A blend of technological and thorough research are done before processing of them into tea bags and certified by the Food and Drugs Board (FDB)”she expressed.
Georgina Koomson says these teas have medicinal values such as prevention of cancers, hypertension, reduction of cholesterol, prevention of kidney diseases, regulation of high blood, protection of the skin, relieves in constipation, dalliance in menopausal stage and very effective for antibacterial and anti-anaesthesia.
These organic teas she said, serves as a support to health and also convenient to prepare.