Tea production has joined the list of casualties of the El Nino inspired drought with producers focusing on hectarages that match their irrigation capacity causing a 14 percent drop in the crop's hectarage this season.
Statistics the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development's first round of Crops, Livestock and Fisheries assessment report (pre-harvest) indicate that the area under tea has decreased by 14 percent from 5 662 hectares in the 2022/2023 season to 4 868 hectares in the 2023/2024 season.
An official with the Horticulture Development Council (HDC) who did not want to be identified and suggested that this publication should attribute everything to HDC said: "The tea industry is facing significant challenges due to a combination of unfavourable weather conditions, economic policies and exchange rate disparities."
HDC added that the late onset of rains for the 2022/23 season had played a crucial role in reducing tea output. Insufficient rainfall affected tea plantations leading to lower yields. This setback had a cascading effect on the subsequent season, as the industry struggled to recover and regain its momentum.
"The negative impact of economic policies, such as the 25 percent Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe's (RBZ) export retention compounded the challenges in 2023 on the backdrop of a widening disparity between the official and market exchange rates. Consequently, the industry experienced increased costs and a decline in viability posing a threat to the country's economy," HDC said.
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The horticulture body explained that some tea producers had in 2023 strategically reduced hectarages of tea plantations and shifted their focus towards improving quality rather than quantity to mitigate the adverse effects. This was also expected to help improve selling prices.
The tea sector is calling for the implementation of positive policies that encourage increased investment in production, which would benefit economy, as a whole given that the current slump raises concerns about the future of the tea industry and its contribution to the country's economy.
"Stakeholders in the industry are actively engaging the authorities to address these challenges and seek solutions. Their primary focus is to create an enabling environment that supports tea producers and encourages them to expand their operations for the prosperity of the country's economy.
"The tea industry is actively exploring avenues to boost production and reinvest in tea estates and efforts are underway to expand the production of other export crops such as avocados and macadamia nuts through schemes that support emerging growers," said HDC.
As the situation unfolds, it remains crucial for policymakers, industry leaders and stakeholders to collaborate and devise strategies that will revive the tea industry, enhance productivity and ensure its sustainability, HDC suggested.
Meanwhile, Tanganda Tea Company says the late onset of the rainy season adversely impacted bulk tea production, resulting in a 19 percent decline in volumes to 1 986 tonnes in the quarter to December 31, 2023 compared to 2 443 tonnes produced in the previous year.
