Uganda’s Tea Sub-Sector: A Comparative Review of Trends, Challenges and Coordination Failures

Uganda's Tea Sub-Sector: A Comparative Review of Trends, Challenges and Coordination Failures

This study critically reviews Uganda’s tea sub-sector performance in relation to the institu­tional framework. The tea sector has performed far below its potential largely owing to poor coordination of activities in the sector. Uganda has about 200,000 hectares suitable for tea production, but only 14 percent (28,000 hectares) is utilised both by small holder and estate owners. Exports have stagnated at around 50,000 metric tonnes in the last 5 years. On the other hand, Kenya has succeeded in transforming its tea sub-sector is largely due to effective coordination of policies and institutions. We argue that the challenges faced by Uganda’s tea sector are as a result of coordination failures in policy, institutions and programmes across the various Ministries, Departments and Agencies. Lessons learnt from Kenya points to the need of Uganda having a comprehensive tea policy and effective institutional framework to coordinate the various interventions and programmes in the sub-sector.

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• Published Apr 14, 2015