UTDAL spear headed the plan to have a factory constructed in Buhweju. We sincerely thank the Government of Uganda for its contribution in civil works of the factory. Buhweju is envisaged to be complete in late 2011.

With the effective management of UTDAL, the two factory companies have established strong partnerships with other organisations like UNADA, MAAIF, OXFAM, and NAADS, where some funds have been sourced for utilization by Tea farmers in improving their green leaf quality and Productivity.

Both factories of Kayonza and Igara employ best manufacturing practices in Tea processing, grading and bagging. The two factories have international accreditation for the implementation of good manufaturing & management systems. They both have acquired ISO 14001 (Environmental management standard) HACCP (Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points) a food management standard, and UNBS quality mark for their teas.

The quality of Igara and Kayonza Tea ranks highest in Uganda and competes favourably with factories in Kenya. The tea is grown at an altitude of over 5800ft above sea level resulting into high flavoured and quality black tea

• Increasing profits and benefits to all key stakeholders,
• Establishing Igara tea brand as a leading tea product and brand,
• Increasing annual black tea sales in direct markets worldwide.

This development agenda will contribute to the strategic objectives contained in Uganda’s National Development Plan (NDP) 2011-2015. These are;

• Promote development of value added industries especially the agro-industries
• Increase competitiveness of local industries
• Enhance the development and productivity of the informal manufacturing sub-sector
• Enhance applied research and technology development
• Reduce unemployment by creating more Jobs
• Development of infrastructure

b)      The company is completing a major expansion programme to establish a new tea processing factory in Buhweju district where over 40% of current production of green leaves is realized. This puts the company in a position of a key development partner to government and helping the government achieve its objectives of improving household incomes and eradicating poverty.

c)       Winner of several prestigious awards:  Presidents’ award for Exporter of the Year in the Tea categories since 2003 to date, Investor of the year award in the small category in 2008; Environmental management award of NEMA in 2008.The factory is also a member of the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO), an international umbrella organization committed to ensuring and guaranteeing better livelihoods to small farmers and workers in the third world as well as ensuring environmental sustainability in all its production systems.

d)      Igara is also accredited to both local and international organizations and has achieved the following; UNBS quality mark for tea, ISO 14001 – global standard for Environmental management and new ISO 22000:2005 standard for food safety.

e)      We have over the last 13 years proudly belonged to the Fairtrade Labeling Organization (FLO). Through our certification with FLO Igara has obtained premium remittances on sale of tea that have been directly invested in community projects such as water and sanitation , health and education, Road infrastructure and environmental projects. The company as part of its well defined corporate social responsibility strategy has drawn up a five year development plan to address the socio-economic and environmental needs of its community.  In addition the company is implementing a project on climate change mitigation to be able to assure its stakeholders of sustainable production in the future.

• Use one tea bag or tea spoonful for a tea cup or tea pot of 250mls respectively,
• Add freshly boiled water and wait for it to brew for 4-5 minutes,
• Add milk and or sugar to your taste and,
• Then stir before serving

Your experience will surely be different.

Storage:
You are always advised to store your black tea in either water tight containers or in their original packages in cool and dry places away from contamination. Tea is a hygroscopic substance that easily absorbs from the atmosphere water and other odours that will make your product unpleasant.

Igara therefore ensures that it provides sufficient and relevant training to farmers through its extension services and the necessary logistical support and personnel needed for the collection and transportation of green leaf from the field collection centers and company owned estates. The leaf collected is processed into black made tea which is transported and or distributed in bulk to the different markets through a well coordinated marketing/sales effort. In addition the black tea is also blended and packed as value added tea of high quality in packages of different sizes and design for the local consumers. These activities are carried out in a manner that is consistent with the aspirations and expectations of shareholders, customers, employees, suppliers and the general community.

For a long time,Uganda has been known to be favourable for Tea growing.  The tea plant was introduced in the country by 1900 and by mid 1950’s, Tea had become Uganda’s’ Estate crop, owned by mainly Asians and Europeans, with a very Small number of African Growers.  At the time of Uganda’s independence in 1962, the country was still a long way from realizing the full potential in the development of its Tea industry.

Tea being an important export product, the Government of Uganda looked at it as one key area through which the countries export earnings could be boosted, and people’s social-economic conditions improved.

The Government therefore commissioned the Commonwealth Development Corporation (C.D.C) for a study of Uganda’s Tea industry.  The C.D.C report, The Uganda Tea Survey of 1969, recommended that Small-Scale Tea Farmers be assisted to play a more important role in the development of the Tea industry.  As a result, the Uganda Tea Growers Corporation (U.T.G.C) was put in place by an act of Parliament no. 3 of 1966, later amended in 1967.

U.T.G.C was mandated to foster a National Tea industry Strategy in general, and in particular to provide assistance to the Small-Scale Tea farmers. The last 40 years have demonstrated that a Smallholder-Tea-Farmer-Based sub-sector is viable.  It is also resilient and adaptable.

2.                  SMALL HOLDER TEA FACTORIES AND U.T.G.C

Between 1969 and 1972, the government of Uganda constructed and commissioned four Tea Factories for the smallholder tea farmers.  These are;

1. Igara Tea Factory, situated in Bushenyi District,
2. Kayonza Tea Factory situated in Kanungu District,
3. Mpanga Tea Factory situated in Kabarole District and,
4. Mabale Tea Factory situated in Kyenjojo District.

The four factories were placed under the management of the Uganda Tea Growers Corporation (U.T.G.C), whose objectives were;

1. To assist tea farmers to access credit and other key farm inputs.
2. Encourage tea farmers to grow varieties of high quality tea.
3. Provide extension service to smallholder tea farmers.
4. Carry out training of smallholder tea farmers.
5. Establish and efficiently operate tea factories.
6. Establish tea nurseries and supply seedlings to farmers.
7. To construct and maintain feeder roads for the purpose of collecting Greenleaf.

The four-tea factory companies among themselves have over 11,000 smallholder tea farmers who supply green-leaf to the tune of 40m kgs a year.

This is equivalent to about 10,000 metric tonnes of made tea per annum, of which 90% is exported to various countries of the world.  The total area of tea owned by smallholder farmers is over 10,000 ha and with the current government of Uganda intervention in tea where high quality and productive varieties of tea plantlets are being issued free to farmers for expansion and infilling, the crop is expected to rise by about 40% in the next 5 years.

The smallholder sector in Uganda produces about 20% of the country’s total of Made Tea.  The World Tea Production has been in the region of 3 billion kgs for the past 5 years and of this total, 10.74% is from the East African countries of Kenya,UgandaandTanzania.  Currently the World’s largest producer isIndiawith about 28% of the World’s production and the largest tea exporter is China with about 17% of the World’s total exports.

3.                  TEA REHABILITATION PROGRAMME.

In its intervention, the government ofUgandaand UTCG negotiated a fairly comprehensive Tea industry rehabilitation and recovery programme with donors and this programme unfolded as follows:

a)       The Emergency Tea Rehabilitation Programme (E.T.R.P) 1987-89

Under this project a World Bank loan of USD 3.5m was used to rehabilitate the UTGC factory machinery and transport equipment, for Mpanga, Mabale, Igara, Kayonza and the farmer Agricultural Enterprises Ltd. Factories, now owned by James Finlays Uganda Ltd.

b)       Smallholder Tea Rehabilitation Project (S.T.R.P) 1989-94

The objective of S.T.D.P was to assist smallholder farmers in their rehabilitation of the tea gardens, which had gone to waste for more than a decade during the bad rule of IDD – Amin.  The project was funded by the European union (EU)

c)        Smallholder Tea Development Programme (S.T.D.P) 1994-99

This programme was the last project set out to consolidate the gains under the previous two projects and even move further in the rehabilitation, recovery and further development in the Tea Industry.  This project had three pronged approach:

a)       To increase smallholder Greenleaf production,

b)       Improve the quality of greenleaf produced and,

c)       To privatise the four Smallholder Tea Factories of Igara, Kayonza, Mabale and Mpanga with the smallholder tea farmers as the only and exclusive shareholders.

The European Union (EU) financed the project that led to the privatisation of smallholder tea factories by a grant of USD 27.8.  It was at this time that the farmers of Igara and Kayonza acquired the two factories, and formed a management agency with the names of Uganda Tea Development Agency Ltd.