Over 2,000 tea farmers in Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts stuck with Tea

There has been a drop in demand for tea, something that has left more than 2,000 tea farmers in Kabarole and Kyenjojo districts stuck with their produce.

Last year, the only two factories that the farmers were selling their produce to announced they had reduced on the quantity of green leaf supplied to them by farmers due to indebtedness to a tune of 19.4 billion shillings as Patrick Siisa, the Board Chairperson Mabale tea factory explained.

The indebtedness of Mpanga in Kabarole and Mabale in Kyenjojo has seen several tea farms going to waste.

Now, Ronald Ategeka, the chairperson of Kabarole tea farmers, says farmers are frustrated because they purchased inputs such as pesticides, fertilisers to improve the quality of their produce, but have nowhere to sell their produce. He explains that some farmers have no option, but leave their produce to rot.

Ategeka wants the government to run to their rescue of the two factories to enable them increase production.

Last month, during a meeting with members of the Tooro Elders Forum in Fort Portal, the indebtedness of the two factories was brought to the attention of President Yoweri Museveni who promised to avail funds in the coming financial year.