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A group of tea growers in Kanungu District have commenced the process of removing and cutting down their tea plantations due to sustained low prices for the commodity, leading some to transition to coffee cultivation. This trend is noticeable in various areas such as Kayonza Sub-county, Buhoma Town Council, Kyeshero Sub-county, Mpungu Sub-county, and parts of Rutenga Sub-county.
Farmers cite a significant decrease in the price of green tea leaves, plummeting from Shs500 to Shs250 per kilogram, as the primary reason for their disillusionment with the tea industry. While tea farmers in Rukungiri District receive Sh.330 per kilogram for their produce, prices in Kanungu District fluctuate between Sh.200 and Sh.350.
Consequently, the escalating expenses associated with tea cultivation, including the cost of plucking, applying fertilizers, and maintaining plantations, have dampened their enthusiasm to continue with tea farming.
Some farmers, preferring not to disclose their identities, have disclosed their intentions to uproot tea plants and transition to maize and banana cultivation to ensure food security for their families, attributing their decision to the poor tea prices.
Eng Sam Kajojo, the chairperson of Kanungu District, revealed that in October of the previous year, a meeting was held among district chairpersons from the 16 districts constituting the Kigezi and Ankole regions in Mbarara. During this meeting, a petition was drafted and submitted to both Parliament and the Cabinet concerning the ongoing issue of low tea prices, with hopes of prompting remedial action to address the challenges faced by tea farmers in the district.
It’s worth noting that since 2008, the government has been actively investing in tea cultivation, providing free seedlings to farmers in the Kigezi region to bolster the growth of this cash crop in the area.
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