KIKUUBE, October 30, 2025 — Tea farmers in Kikuube district have been urged to organise themselves by forming or joining existing cooperative societies in order to benefit from various government programmes.
The call was made recently by the Kikuube District Resident Commissioner (RDC), Godwin Angalia Kasigwa, while addressing tea growers in Bugambe Sub-county.
Kasigwa noted that many farmers continue to operate individually as out-growers, a practice that limits their growth potential. He emphasised that cooperatives enable farmers to pool resources, reduce production costs, and access larger markets and modern technologies that are often out of reach for small-scale producers.
He highlighted that President Yoweri Museveni has pledged Shs 300 billion to support smallholder farmers to expand tea production. In addition, farmers will receive fertilisers to help improve the quality of their produce.
However, Kasigwa cautioned that only farmers organised in cooperatives or similar groups will qualify for support under the initiative. He therefore urged tea farmers in Kikuube district to form or join cooperative societies to position themselves for the forthcoming opportunities.
The RDC also encouraged farmers to take advantage of existing government schemes such as the Parish Development Model [PDM], Uganda Women Entrepreneurship Programme [UWEP], Youth Livelihood Programme [YLP], Operation Wealth Creation [OWC], and Emyooga to boost their tea enterprises.
Kasigwa further directed the Kikuube District Production Department to engage tea farmers and offer technical guidance on best agricultural practices.
“Some people grow tea simply because their fathers did,” Kasigwa said. “In the current times, we want farmers to treat tea as a serious business, just like coffee and other enterprises. From planting to harvesting, there must be technical guidance from the production department. I urge all responsible officers to support farmers so that they can produce quality tea fit for international markets.”
Jackson Ebeneeza, a tea farmer from Bugambe Sub-county, said the tea sector is still struggling despite receiving some financial assistance. He nonetheless welcomed the government’s renewed efforts to revitalise the industry through increased funding.
Ebeneeza noted that the high cost of fertilisers remains a major challenge, with many farmers planting tea without applying fertilisers due to financial constraints, leading to declining yields on overused land.
Regarding the formation of cooperatives, Ebeneeza explained that Bugambe already has a Tea Farmers’ Association, though it has few active members. He urged district leaders to intensify sensitisation campaigns to help farmers appreciate the benefits of working under organised structures.
Some out-growers in Kikuube currently supply their tea to Bugambe Tea Estate, a major tea-growing and processing facility covering more than 1,500 hectares. Another large estate in the district is Kisaru Tea Estate.
Kikuube district is among those that have benefited from government initiatives such as the distribution of tea seedlings to local farmers.
Uganda’s tea industry, once a leading traditional export and a key source of foreign exchange, is facing serious challenges. The sector, which has been a cornerstone of the national economy since the late 1920s, is struggling to stay afloat. The crisis, worsened by the Russia–Ukraine war that began in February 2022, has triggered global economic shocks, reduced tea demand, and caused a sharp decline in prices.
https://thecooperator.news/court-halts-confirmation-of-new-directors-at-igara-growers-tea-factory/
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