Tea farmers vote to petition President over dead factory
Inactive. A farmer points at the non-functional tea processing factory in Kisoro District yesterday. PHOTO BY ROBERT MUHEREZA.
What you need to know:
- Whereas there is enough tea leaves to run a processing factory in Kisoro, there is a problem of transporting the tea leaves from gardens to the factory because of poor road connectivity. Just one road that connects to the buffer zone where there are major tea estates requires about Shs1.6b which myself as an investor can’t fix. I in Kisoro are transported by his workers to his Kabale tea processing factory.
Kisoro. Tea farmers in Kisoro District have resolved to petition President Museveni and minister of Agriculture over the non-functioning tea processing factory.
The resolution to petition the leaders was made on Monday during a stakeholders meeting held at Kisoro District council hall.
“We must petition President Museveni and the minister for Agriculture and ask why the tea processing factory that was constructed in our district is not operating and yet farmers are suffering with the tea leaves,” Bufumbira North MP, Mr John Kamara said.
Kisoro Tea Processing Factory was constructed and completed in September at $1m (about Shs4b) by Mr James Musinguzi Garuga, the chairman for Kigezi Highland Tea Ltd.
The former minister of Agriculture, Mr Tress Bucyanayandi, said he has nowhere to sell tea leaves. He added that Members of Parliament from Kisoro should present the matter on the floor of the House for redress.
Mr Kamara and Mr Bucyanayandi are among the big tea farmers in the area.
“While I was minister of Agriculture, I recommended the construction of this tea processing factory so that our people can get employed. Besides, tea farmers need market for their tea leaves,” Mr Bucyanayandi said.
The Operation Wealth Creation commander for Kisoro, Col Deo Kayita, said the district has about 1,200 acres of land planted with tea ready for harvest and can sustain the factory operation.
The chairman of Kigezi High Land Tea Ltd, Mr Garuga, said yesterday he owns Kisoro Tea Processing Factory but the fact that the roads leading to most tea gardens in the district are impassable, he cannot have the factory running.
“Those complaining are mixing politics with business.
Whereas there is enough tea leaves to run a processing factory in Kisoro, there is a problem of transporting the tea leaves from gardens to the factory because of poor road connectivity. Just one road that connects to the buffer zone where there are major tea estates requires about Shs1.6b which myself as an investor can’t fix. I in Kisoro are transported by his workers to his Kabale tea processing factory.
