Tea farmers advised on climate change mitigation
Aug 28, 2013
The chairman of Kayonza growers tea factory, Caleb Tumwesiimire Kipande has appealed to the shareholders and other farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change by planting as many trees as possible because the tea industry is one of the leading consumers of wood fuel.
By Patson Baraire
The chairman of Kayonza growers tea factory, Caleb Tumwesiimire Kipande has appealed to the shareholders and other farmers to mitigate the effects of climate change by planting as many trees as possible because the tea industry is one of the leading consumers of wood fuel.
Kipande made the appeal while addressing the shareholders during the 18th annual general meeting on August 23, 2013 at the factory premises in Butogota town council, Kanungu district.
Kipande said that the international development partners have noted with concern the high rate at which the tea industry is using wood fuel and has come up with a program where it will support the farmers to plant trees that are friendly to the tea growing sector.
"You all know that we use a lot of wood fuel in our factory but the rate at which the trees are cut does not match the rate at which we plant trees and therefore it is now a responsibility of each farmer to plant trees," he said.
Kipande also noted that the political unrest in the Middle East and North Africa where much of the tea is consumed has affected the tea export because some of the big companies that used to buy the tea have pulled out but the management is still struggling to remain in the market because Kayonza tea is much more cherished because of its high quality.
He however hailed shareholders of increasing the green leaf production which enabled the factory to make increased turn over from sh12.4 billion to sh14 billion which is a 6.2% increment where farmers will earn sh588 per share during this financial year.
Kipande also said that the factory will continue to pay sh400 for green leaf to farmers which is the highest in the region compared to the situation the factory is in and the location.
According to the group manager, Marcel Asiimwe Kayonza has got 6200 shareholders and each members has got about 1000 shares in the company where they earn from both the dividends and also the green leaf they supply to the factory.
During the AGM the shareholders also elected Gregory Mugabe as the new alternate director for the factory representing Kayonza growing zone replacing Sam Byoruganda who has been the board member for the last 10 years.
While addressing the shareholders after the meeting the Resident District Commissioner (RDC)Kanungu Julliet Kabonesa Ssekitoleko asked the farmers to use the opportunity of growing tea to eradicate poverty.
She announced that President Museveni pledged to give the tea farmers in Kanungu district sh30 million tea seedlings of which sh5 million have already been disbursed and therefore each farmers should strive to have at least 2 acres of tea in order to compete favorably with others.