Tea prices drop in greater Bushenyi

Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | Tea farmers in Greater Bushenyi are counting loses following a drop of tea prices by at least Shillings 200 per kilogram. Greater Bushenyi is comprised of Bushenyi, Mitooma, Sheema, Buhweju and Rubirizi districts.

John Bomukama, a tea farmer in Bitooma Sub County in Bushenyi district, said tea prices have dropped from Shillings 650 to 450 a kilogram, which he says is a great lose to farmers. He says some of the farmers are selling their

Bomukama said that some of the farmers are now selling their green tea leaf for as low as Shillings 380 a Kilogram. He suspects that the farmers could have supplied poor quality tea leaves to factories during the dry season thus affecting the prices.

Nuwe Sura, a farmer in Katura Kyamuhunga said that some farmers mishandle the tea leaves during harvest, which compromises the quality of the tea leaf. Jackline Tumusiime, a resident of Butare in Kyamuhunga Sub County, says they are in a state of confusion because they are not recouping what they had anticipated.

David Byamukama, the Bushenyi District Commercial Officer, said there is need for the famers to understand that the prices of their produce will always fluctuate due to various reasons such as decline in demand and quality concerns.

He advised farmers to diversify their energy and stop looking at tea as their only source of income.

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