Buhweju leaders move to regulate tea growing

Buhweju District leaders have resolved to create a by-law to regulate growing of tea.

The decision was reached last week during a district council meeting held in Nsika Town Council. The leaders want to regulate the entire tea value chain from the nursery bed to consumers’ cups.

The Buhweju District acting production officer, Mr Ian Atamba, said they carried out a monitoring exercise in August and November in all sub-counties and found that many farmers had poor quality green leaf which fetched low prices at the auction market. 

“There is need for a law. You should be aware that there is no tea policy in the country. The district is mandated to make laws at the level of ordinance or by-law. We have chosen to establish the laws that are going to regulate the tea industry in the district,” Mr Atamba said.

Mr Atamba said once the by-law is in place, it will regulate nursery bed management, which tea to plant or distribute in the district, fertiliser application, harvest and post-harvest handling, transportation, production, among others.

“From the nursery bed, we are going to the gardens because quality can be lost in the garden. We are going to sensitise farmers that whoever is going to pluck tea must pluck two leaves and a bud and put the green leaf in clean and cemented collection sheds and later moved to the factory in good transportation means until the final product is packed,” Mr Atamba said.

The Buhweju District chairperson, Mr Deo Atuhaire, said: “We want this ordinance to help us improve the quality of tea so that Buhweju can fetch a high price at the international market and also produce the best tea in the region because we have the best soils for tea growing.”

He added: “This law will also help people engage more in tea business for their livelihoods since tea is the major business in Buhweju.”

Mr Ronald Rwankangi, the representative of Nyakashaka Zone on the Igara Growers Tea Factory board, welcomed the move, saying: “Buhweju is sending a very big message to the central government to expedite the process of developing a national tea policy.”

He added: “It is a good initiative by the district. I think if the district supports the sector with the regulation at the district level, I see a game changer, especially on farm management practices because the district has lots of resources in terms of extension officers offering good support for practices including transportation of tea to the processing plant.”

Buhweju District was carved out of Bushenyi District in 2010. It has more than 10,000 tea farmers.

Local Government act
The Local Government Act, Chapter 243 gives legislative powers to local government councils to enact ordinances and by-laws for proper and effective implementation of government programmes, national policies, and laws. 

The district councils have power to formulate ordinances while the lower local governments have powers to formulate by-laws.