UAE investors to construct tea processing factories in Uganda

The government of Uganda has attracted investors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who are said to be planning to construct tea processing factories in some of the tea growing districts in western and northern parts of the country.

The National Agriculture Advisory Services (NAADS) executive director, Dr Samuel Mugasi on over the weekend led the team of investors that toured the tea gardens in the districts of Kisoro, Rukiga, Sheema, Bushenyi, Kyenjojo, Kabarole and Zombo in a military chopper AF-639.

“This team of investors were identified by President Museveni during his recent visit to the United Arab Emirates. We are taking them around the selected tea growing districts where we expect them to construct tea processing factories that will provide ready market for the tea leaves produced, provide employment to Ugandans and cause general development in these areas,” Dr Mugasi said.

The executive director and board member of Elite Agro group of the United Arab Emirates Dr Abdul Monem led the investors group that appreciated the tea gardens in Kisoro district and said the construction of the tea processing factory would commence after the necessary paperwork and general survey is completed.

“We are happy with what we have seen so far and the construction of the tea processing factories shall soon begin after our survey,” Dr Abdul Monem said.

The lead farmer in tea growing in Kisoro district who doubles as the Member of Parliament for Bufumbira North, Mr John Kamara said the construction of a tea processing factory in the area will be a relief to the farmers who have been making losses in maintaining tea gardens and yet they never had ready market for their tea leaves.

“Whereas I have planted about 3,200 acres of tea gardens in Nyabwishenya Sub County in Kisoro district with other individual tea farmers planting about 1,500 acres of their land with tea, lack of a tea processing factory that provides ready market for our produce has been a great challenge. The coming of the investors from the United Arab Emirates pledging to construct a tea processing factory in this area will be a great relief,” Mr Kamara said.

He said that the tea farmers in the area have the capacity to produce 45,000kgs of green tea per day, sufficient to run a processing factory without any interruption. He added that plans are underway to extend hydro power electricity to run the planned tea processing factory and the improvement of the road network is under way.

“The Minister of Works and Transport, Gen Katumba Wamala has promised to work on the roads connecting to the tea growing sub counties and said plans are underway to extend hydropower electricity to the proposed site where the tea processing factory is scheduled to be constructed,” Mr Kamara added.

The Kisoro RDC, Mr Peter Mugisha said that whereas Kisoro district has one tea processing factory located in Kisoro town, the establishment of the second tea processing factory will spark development in the district besides improving the national economy.

“It is President Museveni who launched tea growing in Kigezi sub region in 2007 and now that he has attracted investors who will construct tea processing factories is a great gesture to the farmers who have been making losses as they travelled long distances to transport their tea leaves to Kisoro town where there is a processing factory,” Mr Peter Mugisha said.