Editor
Tea growers in Greater Bushenyi expressed their frustration on Saturday regarding the fluctuations in tea prices over the past eight months.
During a meeting held at Kyamuhunga Catholic Social Center under the Tea Outgrowers Association of Uganda umbrella, members made several resolutions.
One of their key demands was that the government should provide subsidies for fertilizers and conduct soil sampling to determine the appropriate soil pH levels, rather than using a one-size-fits-all approach.
Farmers also called for the construction of more tea factories, as the Igara tea factory, with a daily capacity of 2 tons, now produces 12 tons per day, leading to concerns about the sustainability of this growth.
Edward Mpabwa, a tea farmer from Kyamuhunga, expressed disappointment over the rapid decline in the prices of green tea leaves, which have reached their lowest level per kilogram on the global market. This decline was attributed to poor tea leaf quality by both farmers and processors.
Savio Tumuramye, another farmer from Kyamuhunga Sub-County, urged the government, through the leadership of Bushenyi District, to establish regulations governing tea production and processing, ensuring quality control from local farmers to the global market.
Jafari Basajjabalaba, the chairman of Bushenyi District, assured the farmers that he would collaborate with other leaders and the Ministry of Agriculture to create an ordinance to regulate tea production and processing.
Caption: Mr. Samuel Mbangiirenta, the chairman of the board at Igara Tea Factory, addressing farmers in Kyamuhunga, Bushenyi District.
