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IGARA GROWERS TEA FACTORY LIMITED,UGANDA
Arthur Babu Muguzi – Chairman Igara Board of Directors
2nd
Briefing for Africa
July 2014
2
Outline
1. Background
2. Igara’s journey to success
3. Production Trend
4. Achievements of Igara Growers Tea Factory as a farmer-led business
5. Challenges faced by Igara Growers Tea Factory
6. Replication of the Business Model
3
Background …
• 1970s: Tea as 4th
highest foreign income earner for Uganda.
• Decline in Sector starting 1973 , and near Collapse by 1981.
• During the period of economic recovery after the Amin regime.
• Uganda Tea Growers designed the Smallholder Tea Development
Programme.
• The Green Leaf Project
• The Tea Factory Project (4 tea factories)
• The objectives of the programme were as follows:
• Assist smallholder farmers to take control of the factories to which they
delivered their green leaf
• Create an attractive investment environment for the medium and large
scale farmers
• Improve extension services
• Improve the technical efficiency and capacity of the tea factories
4
Background …
• Igara Tea Growers Factory Limited was incorporated in 1995.
• It is a public company in which ownership is restricted to bona
fide tea farmers with a signed green leaf supply contract.
• Shares are allotted during the production season on the basis
of one share for every 500 kg of green leaf delivered.
• The principal goal of the company is to buy green leaf tea,
process it into black tea and sell the black tea on the local and
export markets.
• As part of the programme, a management company was
established to manage all the tea factories.
• At the end of the project the other tea factories opted to carry
out their own management.
• Igara and Kayonza opted to create the Uganda Tea
Development Agency Limited (UTDAL).
5
Background …
• UTDAL is wholly owned by Igara and Kayonza tea growers factories
on a 50:50 basis.
• Each shareholder appoints 2 Directors to the UTDAL board and the
fifth Director is independent.
Uganda Tea Development Agency Limited
(UTDAL)
2 Directors from each shareholder
One independent
Igara Growers Tea
Factory Limited
9 Directors
Kayonza Growers Tea
Factory Limited
7 Directors
50%50%
Two DirectorsTwo Directors
Manages all operations at Igara, Buhweju and Kayonza
6
Igara’s Journey to Success …
• Igara Growers Tea Factory Limited has a board of 9 elected
members.
• The board is managed on a rotational system for continuity.
• Board members are elected to represent specific areas within
which they farm.
• Maintain relationship with the farmers through regular
engagement ie quarterly meetings
• Igara lobbied and attracted Government support.
• During 2008 Igara obtained government support for the
Buhweju factory in the form of a grant to cover all the
buildings valued at US$ 2.4 million.
7
Igara’s Journey to Success …
• Igara provides a credit facility to the farmers for inputs such as
fertilizer, herbicides,prunning knives and spray pumps.
• Igara has seen its farmer membership increase from about 4,000
farmers to 6,880 farmers between 1995 and 2013.
• This has been attributed to the recognition given to the
farmers, both new and old farmer, and in some instances some
farmers are recognised posthumously.
• Igara currently has a green leaf production of about 34 million kg
per annum valued at approximately US$ 7.2 million in the local
economy.
• This is driven by the US$ 21 cent per kg of green leaf paid to
the farmers which is influenced by the prices attained for the
made tea and overall management of the production and
marketing costs.
8
Production Trend …
9
Achievements of Igara Growers Tea Factory as a farmer-led business …
• High level of accountability to the farmers
• Emphasis is on adding value to what is already in place
• Made significant improvements to the business such as improved
internal control systems
• Payments to the farmers are significantly high. This includes the
first, second and bonus payments, In addition to dividends.
• The turnover and profitability of the factory is increasing.
• Increased the capacity of the factory from 86,000 kg in 1995 to the
current 100,000 kg per day
• Established and invested in a subsidiary tea factory, the Buhweju
Growers Tea Factory,with the withering capacity of 70,000kg per
day
10
Challenges faced by Igara Growers Tea Factory …
• Poor road infrastructure
• Labour costs for the farmer and the factory.
• Delays in services that should be provided by government.
• Lack of regulation of the tea sector.
• Timely activities and reward of the farmers
• Expensive capital costs(high interest rates)
• Lack of research capacities within the country
• Dependency on international markets,which we don’t control
• Low prices facing the tea industry.
11
Replication of the Business Model …
• Gives Farmer Organisations an option to attract business and
management skills not available within the farmer environment.
• The farmers have the opportunity to remain in control of their
destiny.
• Having a management company allows the combining farmer
organisations in different activities under one management
company.
• The opportunity to share some services and thus lower fixed costs.
12
Thank You
Asante

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  • 1. IGARA GROWERS TEA FACTORY LIMITED,UGANDA Arthur Babu Muguzi – Chairman Igara Board of Directors 2nd Briefing for Africa July 2014
  • 2. 2 Outline 1. Background 2. Igara’s journey to success 3. Production Trend 4. Achievements of Igara Growers Tea Factory as a farmer-led business 5. Challenges faced by Igara Growers Tea Factory 6. Replication of the Business Model
  • 3. 3 Background … • 1970s: Tea as 4th highest foreign income earner for Uganda. • Decline in Sector starting 1973 , and near Collapse by 1981. • During the period of economic recovery after the Amin regime. • Uganda Tea Growers designed the Smallholder Tea Development Programme. • The Green Leaf Project • The Tea Factory Project (4 tea factories) • The objectives of the programme were as follows: • Assist smallholder farmers to take control of the factories to which they delivered their green leaf • Create an attractive investment environment for the medium and large scale farmers • Improve extension services • Improve the technical efficiency and capacity of the tea factories
  • 4. 4 Background … • Igara Tea Growers Factory Limited was incorporated in 1995. • It is a public company in which ownership is restricted to bona fide tea farmers with a signed green leaf supply contract. • Shares are allotted during the production season on the basis of one share for every 500 kg of green leaf delivered. • The principal goal of the company is to buy green leaf tea, process it into black tea and sell the black tea on the local and export markets. • As part of the programme, a management company was established to manage all the tea factories. • At the end of the project the other tea factories opted to carry out their own management. • Igara and Kayonza opted to create the Uganda Tea Development Agency Limited (UTDAL).
  • 5. 5 Background … • UTDAL is wholly owned by Igara and Kayonza tea growers factories on a 50:50 basis. • Each shareholder appoints 2 Directors to the UTDAL board and the fifth Director is independent. Uganda Tea Development Agency Limited (UTDAL) 2 Directors from each shareholder One independent Igara Growers Tea Factory Limited 9 Directors Kayonza Growers Tea Factory Limited 7 Directors 50%50% Two DirectorsTwo Directors Manages all operations at Igara, Buhweju and Kayonza
  • 6. 6 Igara’s Journey to Success … • Igara Growers Tea Factory Limited has a board of 9 elected members. • The board is managed on a rotational system for continuity. • Board members are elected to represent specific areas within which they farm. • Maintain relationship with the farmers through regular engagement ie quarterly meetings • Igara lobbied and attracted Government support. • During 2008 Igara obtained government support for the Buhweju factory in the form of a grant to cover all the buildings valued at US$ 2.4 million.
  • 7. 7 Igara’s Journey to Success … • Igara provides a credit facility to the farmers for inputs such as fertilizer, herbicides,prunning knives and spray pumps. • Igara has seen its farmer membership increase from about 4,000 farmers to 6,880 farmers between 1995 and 2013. • This has been attributed to the recognition given to the farmers, both new and old farmer, and in some instances some farmers are recognised posthumously. • Igara currently has a green leaf production of about 34 million kg per annum valued at approximately US$ 7.2 million in the local economy. • This is driven by the US$ 21 cent per kg of green leaf paid to the farmers which is influenced by the prices attained for the made tea and overall management of the production and marketing costs.
  • 9. 9 Achievements of Igara Growers Tea Factory as a farmer-led business … • High level of accountability to the farmers • Emphasis is on adding value to what is already in place • Made significant improvements to the business such as improved internal control systems • Payments to the farmers are significantly high. This includes the first, second and bonus payments, In addition to dividends. • The turnover and profitability of the factory is increasing. • Increased the capacity of the factory from 86,000 kg in 1995 to the current 100,000 kg per day • Established and invested in a subsidiary tea factory, the Buhweju Growers Tea Factory,with the withering capacity of 70,000kg per day
  • 10. 10 Challenges faced by Igara Growers Tea Factory … • Poor road infrastructure • Labour costs for the farmer and the factory. • Delays in services that should be provided by government. • Lack of regulation of the tea sector. • Timely activities and reward of the farmers • Expensive capital costs(high interest rates) • Lack of research capacities within the country • Dependency on international markets,which we don’t control • Low prices facing the tea industry.
  • 11. 11 Replication of the Business Model … • Gives Farmer Organisations an option to attract business and management skills not available within the farmer environment. • The farmers have the opportunity to remain in control of their destiny. • Having a management company allows the combining farmer organisations in different activities under one management company. • The opportunity to share some services and thus lower fixed costs.