Despite abundant opportunities, tea production is still minimal - farmers

by the guardian reporter
Tanzania can increase tea production and bring in enough foreign exchange as the case in some African countries if the government will put more emphasis in using the existing opportunities.

 

At the moment, Tanzania produces only 32,000 tonnes annually which is equal to 5.5 percent placing her as the 13th country in Africa. 

 

This was said by a representative of tea growers association, Dr Audax Rutabanzibwa during the launch of a farmers’ advocacy project, which was held here at the weekend.

 

He said tea production in the world increased from 4.6 million tonnes in 2009 to 4.91million tonnes in 2013, but Tanzania has contributed very little despite having a myriad of opportunities.

 

According to reports, Kenya’s tea production stood at 278.1 million kg in 2013 compared to 214.4 million kg in 2012, making Tanzania tea to lose the market at the international auction market in Mombasa.

 

He said Kenyan tea occupies the entire market of the Mombasa auction, making Tanzania tea to be auctioned late and at low price.

 

“Kenya delivers about 400,000 kg of tea to Mombasa auction, with 50,000 kg of tea coming from Uganda while Tanzania only exports between 32,000 and 33,000kg of the drinking crop resulting from low production,” he said.

 

For his part, the chairman of small tea growers in Kagera region Nestory Lugakingila, said the project will help the farmers to access loans that would enable them to establish small industries.

 

However, he said, more efforts are needed to enable tea farmers have a strong voice when bargaining for the crop prices with buyers.

 

The Director of Regulatory Services from the Tea Board of Tanzania, Nicholaus Mauya, advised the government to invest more in irrigation schemes in order to empower local tea glowers to boost production and enable the country to compete at the international market with other tea producing countries.

 

He was quoted by this paper recently as saying that there is a need to ensure that the country starts depending on tea irrigation schemes if it is to increase production.

 

Mauya said despite the government admitting the shortage of a budget for irrigation schemes, specifically for tea production, the country needs to start initiating conducive mechanisms for such schemes to grow.

 

He said lack of proper irrigation in the sector has made the country’s tea production to stand at 11.5million kilogrammes between July 2014 and December 2015 compared to 9.3million kilogrammes produced between July 2014 and 2014. This has made the country to face fierce competition from other producing states.

 

According to the director, the northern part of Tanzania has 8,000 ha of tea plantations with other 14,000 ha being cultivated in the southern part of the country with 50-60 percent of tea production being exported to Mombasa. 

 

He said tea sales increased to 76 percent from 74 percent in the 2012/13 fiscal year due to the increased demand for direct sales and overstock in Mombasa auction where traders from UK, South Africa, Russia and Pakistan come to purchase the produce.  

 

He again pointed out for the need to ensure that farmers have access to modern farming inputs and access to agriculture inputs subsidies in order to enable them raise production.

SOURCE: THE GUARDIAN