Tea production falls

Agriculture Reporter
Tea production in Honde Valley is under threat as many farmers are switching to the highly lucrative banana production.
The farmers feel that tea is now fetching low prices on the market.A kilogramme of green tea is selling at US11 cents, while other countries are offering between US25 and US35 cents per kg.
Zimbabwe Farmers Union second vice president Mr Berean Mukwende said most farmers in the area were now uprooting the tea trees and establishing banana plantations.

He said there was no competition on the market as there was only one buyer, the Honde Valley Small Holder Development Company, which dictated prices.

Mr Mukwende said farmers used to get competitive prices when the Arda Katiyo Tea Factory was still functional.
He said the other challenge was that tea producers did not have access to funding from banks and were not included in input schemes.

“Tea is a strategic crop which can contribute meaningfully towards the national economy if given support,” said Mr Mukwende.
He said tea was a lifetime crop as the farmer would harvest from one plant for several years.

Ethiopia, for example, is growing its economy on tea and coffee, which shows that the crop is vital and requires support.
“If done properly, tea could boost farmers’ profits and even support other enterprises such as livestock and other crops,” said Mr Mukwende.