By Umaru Kashaka
The agriculture ministry has started spearheading the formulation of a comprehensive tea development policy to maximise the country’s potential in tea production.
Agriculture state minister Fred Bwino Kyakulaga says tea has since 1900 been a priority commodity for the country because it’s a source of employment, household income, and livelihood for over one million Ugandans.
“Tea contributes $90m, making it the 3rd agricultural foreign exchange earner after coffee and fish in the third National Development Plan. Tea sub-sector is, however, faced with many challenges, among which is the lack of an elaborate regulatory framework,” he says.
The state minister adds that the Government had found it difficult to effectively co-ordinate all tea value chain actors to maximise Uganda’s potential in tea production.
“Aware of these and other challenges, the ministry of agriculture together with the ministry of trade have engaged stakeholders and still continue to do so,” he said, while officially opening what he called the key national tea policy validation meeting in Kampala on June 30, 2023.
He also said the agriculture ministry will also spearhead the policy’s implementation strategy in collaboration with that of trade, other ministries, departments and agencies and the private sector to guide the tea sub-sector.
