INTRODUCTION

BUKOBA TEA FACTORY.

The Bukoba Tea Factory is located about 25km from Bukoba Municipal. The factory has
been working for more than 50 years for the estates of tea used to feed the factory as raw
materials for about 80% were inherited from the British colonial administration.
The Tea Green leaves are collected as raw materials for the factory from two sections
which are the factory estates and from the small farmer by the cars of the company daily.
These leaves are transported from the weighing place to the troughs by lifts where 700kg
or 800kg of leaves are dried in each trough with the assistance of Fan machine. Then the tea
leaves are grinded and grated by the Cutting Tea Curling machine to get grade 1, 2 and 3 and
the grinded tea is cooled in the trolls to 23
0
c to 25
0
c and then the tea is sent to the Mess machine
by the drier machine whereby the grading ends. The whole processes end within two hours to
four hours, then the tea is ready for Package and transportation.
(A) The production capacity of Kagera Tea Company.
PRODUCTION
According to Saville, A.H.(1965) defines production as the process and method used to
transform tangible inputs (raw materials, semi-finished goods) into goods or services for
the consumption.
PRODUCTION CAPACITY
It refers to maximum possible output of an economy. According to the united nation
conference on trade and development (UNCTAD), the productive resources
entrepreneurial capabilities and production linkage which to together determine the
capacity of a country or industry to produce goods and services.







In reference to Kagera Tea Company the production capacity are as follows:-
i. Daily; The Company collects at least 20,000kg of green leaves which is equal to
4444.4kg of Tea production. These yields normally occur in winter season/period.
During summer period/ season the crop production may fall up to 9000kg or 5000kg
of green leaves which is equal to 20000kg or 1111.1kg of Tea products respectively.
ii. Monthly; the Kagera Tea Company collects 560,000kg of green leaves which is
equal to 124443.2kg of Tea products in case of the months with high rainfall. (ie
approximation to 9 months), and the remaining 3 moths which receive little rainfall,
the production decrease
iii. Annually. The Bukoba Tea Company yields 6720, 000kg of Tea products per year
which is equal to 1493318.4kg. .

iv. Inputs needed for the Tea farming and processing.
Farming- Refers to the growing crop or keeping animals by people far food or
raw materials. Farming is a put of agriculture.
Processing- is the production of goods that are typically produced in bulk
quantities. Processing manufacturing industry include chemical food and beverage.
Again processing is defined as the branch of manufacturing that is associated with
formulas and manufacturing recipes.
According to Fellman, J. et al (2003), categorize factors necessary for farming into
physical and cultural or artificial factors.
In reference to the Kagera Tea Company applies, and favored by things or factors that are
necessary for both farming and processing activities are as follow:-
Inputs for Tea farming require the following factors:-
Environmental factors/ inputs. It includes:-
Enough rainfall and well distributed throughout the year at least 9 months.
Altitude of 1500m to 2100m

Deep, well-drained soils with soil PH 4-6 especially silt loamy and sandy loam soil.
Temperature of 27
o
c.
Note: The Kagera Tea Company has altitude of 1236m which is also facilitates the
Tea farming.
Cultural practice or inputs such as the use of chemical fertilizer especially NPK, and also
the use of tractors and ploughs.

(b) Inputs for processing activities are like:-
Water for running machines and produce water vapors for drying Tea.
Firewood to boil water.
Electricity to run the Company machines and other uses.
Man power to manipulate the machines and other handcraft works.
Storage and packing to secure the tea products and so on.

(B) The Tea Production in Kagera Tea company (KTC) fulfill the peoples demand in case of
quality since the Tea products meet the TBS grade, and also the whole process of
production do not affect the environment of the local community and globally. While in
case of quantity the Tea production is still in low level due to the fact that the company
has small hectors of Tea crops (that is 300 hectors) compared to other company and also
the small holders produces Tea green leaves in small amount due to poor method of
farming and commitment. Hence these factors lead to insufficient supply of Tea products
locally and externally.






(C) According to Fellman and Getis, Getis, (2008), defined spatial interaction as the
movement of people between places, the flow of goods from one region to another the
diffusion of ideas from a centre of knowledge to other areas.
Then, fellman and Gelts, Getis (2008) defined barriers as any condition that
hinder either flow if information or movement of people and thus retard or present the
interaction. These barriers may include distance, cost, physical environment (mountains,
deserts oceans and rivers) cultural aspects and political system.
Therefore, in connection to the above explanation and the question it is true that
Kagera Tea production faces some barriers that hamper the whole process of production.
These barriers are as follow:-
Competition from other crops production like cocoa, coffee and banana. The
production of these crops lead to competition in market area in which each crops fixes its
money value depending on its quality.
Lack of big Tea farms; the absence of big farms of Tea happen the Tea production
since the green leaves from the farm is low in amount needed.
Time, also the time for Tea farming process may sometimes limit or hamper the
Tea production needed. This is according to long distance from the small farm holders
and also from the Tea Company farms.
Shortage of capital both company and small holders to run the whole processes of
Tea farming and processing. For example due to lack of capital to buy chemical
fertilizers to renew the soil fertility and pesticides.
Also, The KTC faces competition from other Tea production Industry example
from Mbeya and Iringa.
Intervening opportunity; The people of Kagera District seems to have other better
services or source of supply or market which has prohibited the first interaction of Tea
products from the industry.
They face the problem of cost in case of transportation due to the long distance to
market Centre such as in Mombasa, Kagera Tea Company is far from market centre than
other companies


Market competition in the world, Kagera Tea Company is also facing the
competition of market with other Tea producing companies
Lacks of Irrigation scheme seem to face the company too since during the dry
season the production fall due to lack of such program

(d) The remedies taken/ should be taken to rectify the problems facing the Kagera Tea
Company are:-
The small holders should make the groups people having Shekton per each group to
expand the tea farming and production, This may lead them to receive loans andother physical
properties such as tractors from the company itself or government to run their Tea farming.
The company has to expand the Tea an estate from 300 hectors to above For example
areas such as Maruku and Katoke.
The company should promote or advertise locally and externally so as to catch the
external and internal markets.
The company industry should take technical and scientific method of improving the soil
fertility to increase the Tea production rather than rely on the single chemical fertilizers.
Establishment of irrigation scheme program so as to ensure that Tea production is equal
throughout the year.
Government support, may also bring positive change for instance ,provision of loan and
market finding.
Generally Tea Production seems to have significance benefit in economic development
both from local to country wide economy.




REFERENCES
Fellman, J, Getis, A and Getis, J. (2003). Human Geography. Landscapes of Human Activities.
Tth Edition, WCR, McGraw Hill, Boston.
Savitle, A.H. (1965). Extension in Rural Communities. A manual for Agriculture and Homo
Extension Technician Workers. Oxford University Press.
http://www.wikipedia.org/wiki/productive capacity. Retrieved on 02.06.2014
Bukoba Tea Company Limited (2014) Study Tour.














ST. AUGUSTINE UNIVERSITY OF TANZANIA
BUKOBA CENTRE
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
DEPARTMENT: GEOGRAPHY
COURSE TITLE: SPATIAL ORGANIZATION
COURSE CODE: GE 142
LECTURER NAME: SR SABINA
TASK: GROUP ASSIGNMENT
GROUP NO: 6
GROUP MEMBERS:
NO NAME REG. NUMBER SIGNATURE
2 MPOCHO MARIAM BAED I 45937
5 MWAMBELA LUGANO J. BAED I 45946
3 PROTASE DENICE M. BAED I 45958
4 ROBERT GOODLUCK S BAED I 45961
1 SAMBULA WILJONS S. BAED I 45976

QUESTION: (a) Production capacity of industry
i. Daily
ii. Monthly
iii. Annual
iv. Inputs needed for the tea farming and processing.
(b) Do you think the Tea production reflects the peoples demand in terms of quality and
quality?
(c) In the light of spatial interaction is there any barrier that hampers production of Tea?
(d) What remedies taken/ should be taken to rectify the problems.