Understanding Gendered Tea Production Characteristics and Trends under Smallholder Farming Systems in South-Western Uganda

Tea production is one of the main sources of household income in south-western Uganda and contributes to foreign exchange earnings of the country. Tea production is dominated by small-scale farmers who supply fresh tea leaves to processing plants. The government of Uganda has been promoting tea production in traditional tea districts and expanding its production in new areas in effort to alleviate rural household poverty. The objective of this study was to assess tea production trends and the potential to benefit gendered households involved in its production in south-western Uganda. The study revealed that tea production increased in the last decade through the government’s intervention in supplying free seedlings to farmers, strengthening extension system and supporting the establishment of private processing plants in tea-growing areas. However, it appeared that male-headed households opened up more land for tea production and were further getting support in form of improved tea clones and mineral fertilizers on credit from processing plants compared to their female-headed counterparts. Gender inequality, particularly in terms of access to and use of resources, particularly land, is the main obstacle that prevents female-headed households from increasing tea production and productivity as a means of reducing household poverty.