President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has instructed the Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries to develop new regulations to guide tea cultivation and processing in Uganda.
The President said the move is intended to protect the sector from international price instability caused by poor management practices within the tea industry.
“We need to regulate those who grow tea so that they grow it properly and the ones who buy tea, buy good tea. This will be done,” President Museveni emphasized.
He made the remarks during a meeting with tea farmers, nursery operators, and processors in Bushenyi District, Western Uganda.
At the meeting, the President tasked tea farmers to provide government with a written report on whether tea should be regarded as a high or low value crop.
“I want you to go back and write to me on the issue of whether tea is a high value crop under intensive agriculture or we should continue with extensive agriculture because some people say you can earn net Shs1.4 million per month, if you can do that, that will be good. I want this one in writing,” he directed.
He further noted that technical advice would be sought to guide the transformation of tea production into a more intensive and profitable model.
“Let me get some advice so that we can confidently transfer tea from an extensive type of crop to an intensive one. Prof. Kabwegyere is saying that if everything is done, you can get 8,000 kilograms from an acre. Prof. Ephraim Kamuntu will coordinate all that so that we can get a document to guide our people,” the President explained.
President Museveni reminded the stakeholders that he had previously downplayed tea as a high value crop, citing its lower profitability compared to crops such as coffee.
The Head of State also rejected a proposal from farmers to establish a Tea Authority, instead instructing the Agriculture Ministry to create specialized desks for different crops.
“Regarding the issue of the Tea Authority, that’s a colonial mentality and approach where they emphasized cotton, coffee and copper. But the NRM has been telling you that you can make money from cassava; it is a cash crop. In the colonial times, they were telling you cash crops are only coffee, cotton, tobacco and tea. Bananas and the like were food crops but NRM is telling you that those are all cash crops. So if we are to put up authorities for each cash crop, how many authorities shall we have?” he wondered.
He pledged that government will step in to address the critical challenges that tea farmers are facing.
“We need to get you a fund for fertilizers, and we shall get it,” he assured the farmers.
The President also confirmed that government had earmarked Shs 312 billion to support tea farmers and processors in clearing loans and to raise the quality of Uganda’s tea for a stronger global market presence.
The Minister of Agriculture, Animal Industry and Fisheries, Hon. Frank Tumwebaze, urged farmers to embrace self-regulation as government accelerates the process of drafting regulations.
The Chairperson of Uganda Tea Outgrowers Association, Mr. Onesimus Matsiko, appealed to the President to fast-track zoning policies and other reforms for the industry.
“Your Excellency, if the issue of costly fertilizers and green leaf quality regulation are dealt with, we would solve Uganda tea industry problems by more than 80 percent,” he stressed.
The Bushenyi meeting was also attended by the Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Rt. Hon. Thomas Tayebwa, Cabinet Ministers, Members of Parliament, and other leaders.
