Derrick A
Farmers in the Kanungu district are distressed by the increasing price fluctuations of green tea leaves, which have significantly reduced their income and hindered the development of their area.
Residents from Katojo Parish in Rutenga Town Council, including Bonny Byabashaija Basheka, the LC2 chairperson of Katojo Parish, and Africano Turyatunga, expressed their concerns to our reporter. They mentioned that many parents previously relied on income from tea to pay school fees and cover family needs. However, due to the unstable prices, some parents are now struggling financially.
These farmers are calling on the government to intervene and establish a tea policy to regulate and stabilize the prices of green tea leaves in Uganda. In some districts, farmers have resorted to uprooting and cutting their tea plantations due to persistently low prices, with some shifting to coffee growing and food crops.
In Kanungu district, tea farmers are paid between UGX 200-350 per kilogram of tea leaves, with over four tea factories established in the district.
Leviticus Niwandinda, the head teacher of Kigezi Orphanage School in Rutenga Sub County, stated that the declining prices of green tea leaves have affected private schools, leading to decreased enrollment as some parents have moved their children to other schools due to reduced income.
Julius Katemba, the director of Amaziima Community Initiative, suggested that residents should diversify their crops and not rely solely on tea to overcome the current challenges. He emphasized the importance of educating residents to plant other cash crops, such as coffee and Hass avocado, for sustainable income in case the price of one crop drops.
