Zombo: Over 400 youth trained in tea management

Zombo, West Nile—August 5, 2020: At least 400 youths underwent different trainings in tea farming, management and plantlets’ management, among others.

The training took place on August 2020. State Minister for Northern Uganda who’s also the Zombo District Woman MP, Hon. Grace Freedom Kwiyucwiny was among the learners.

The training took place inside her tea estate located in Tengo village, Zeu sub-county, Zombo district.

The Woman MP owns a tea estate measuring about 60 that has since become a tea training centre for West Nile and Northern Uganda in general.

“The Minister visited her farm which she offered to all tea farmers in Zombo and West Nile in general, she was amongst the tea farmers trained in management of tea seedlings, land preparation, how to plant, and general management of a tea bush,” Edwin Atukunda Beekunda, the EFOTI Ltd director, and a tea researcher told this publication on Tuesday.

“She (the Minister) was very happy because most workers (some trainees) at her farm were area locals,” Mr Atukunda added.

The Minister who is pleased with the EFOTI Ltd intervention in Northern Uganda, thanked Mr Atukunda Edwin for training the youth (farmers) and further requested EFOTI Ltd to keep the good sprit.

Both the Minister and EFOTI Ltd have agreed that training takes place every Tuesday from 8am to 10am so that even those who don’t have tea can know more about tea.

“If all farmers were to benefit from tea, they just need to come closer to EFOTI Ltd,” she says.

For many years, almost a decade, tea farmers in West Nile received tea plantlets, planted it, but no results were seen.

Within eight months of EFOTI Ltd intervention in the sub-region, tea production and value addition have surpassed human imagination and expectation, with government expected soon to establish first tea factory in the sub-region.

Northern Uganda region has embraced tea growing. The region that has been known for growing cash crops like maize, simsim, groundnuts, sorghum, among others, is now undertaking tea farming.

This is expected to supplement the household incomes of not only farmers, but also the community in an area where tea is grown.