Life in a tea estate

BY WATIPASO MZUNGU JNR

Chifundo Mpaso, 30, of Likwakwanda village, Traditional Authority Nchilamwera in Thyolo had been working for Smallholder Tea Company (Steco) for a decade without anything to show for his toil.

Mpaso joined Steco in 1999 as a messenger. He always had hard choices to make in life since the working conditions were not as attractive.

“Although I was working, I had nothing to show for my sweat. Worse still, I joined the company was on the verge of collapse, which also contributed to the poor working conditions of the workers,” he said Sunday in an exclusive interview.

But in a situation where one is left with responsibility to feed and clothe a chain of dependants, the choices are particularly stark.

“I had to stay on for the sake of my family. Sometimes I could think that one day things would improve for the better, but nothing changed. We led a hand-to-mouth life,” Mpaso explained.

Thus the worker resigned to fate, praying to God that one day would answer his call for solutions to the many financial and social challenges his family was in.

Mpaso and his fellow workers were operating from rented houses some kilometres away from the estate. Only drivers and clerks were allocated company houses while the rest had to find their own accommodation elsewhere.

In times of eventualities, it was not easy for workers to connect with their bosses since there was no means of communication.

“Life was not easy at all,” he said.

Thus Mpaso and several others working in the estate went through excruciating poverty despite serving the company for years. But it was not their fault.

The problems of and conflict within the smallholder tea sub-sector began in 1994 when there was political influence in the operations Malawi Tea Company (Mateco), and these problems continued after privatization.

The major problems were: irregular collection of green leaf from selling/buying stations, long delays of up to 6 months in paying growers for their green leaf, lack of essential services to growers such as production input loans, extension services, and provision of planting material.

Mismanagement of finances at the company led to withdrawal of donor funding, such as the European Union, forcing STECO to accumulate huge debts even after government had settled all previous debts (K40 million in 1999 and K28.6 million in 2002) at the time of privatization in 2002.

Presentation of the above problems by smallholder growers to government through the Ministries of Agriculture and Statutory Corporations failed to elicit a response to solve the problems.

Government inaction led about 95% of the smallholder tea growers to sell their green leaf to commercial tea estate companies following government liberalization of marketing in 1996.

It was on the verge of collapse when Mulli Brothers bought Smallholder Tea Authority (STA) and MATECO in 2002 from government.

These two organizations were disbanded and replaced by two other organizations: the Smallholder Tea Growers Trust (TRUST) and the Smallholder Tea Company Limited (STECO).

The TRUST became the shareholding company of STECO which managed the smallholder tea factory, bought leaf from smallholders (the TRUST) and processed it in the factory.

Currently, out of an estimated 7,200 smallholder tea growers in Mulanje and Thyolo, only 1,000 remain with STECO, the rest sell their green leaf to commercial tea estate companies.

Mulli Brothers Group Business Development Manager Wise Chauluka told the media recently that the aim of their company now is to improve working conditions of the workers to enable them live happily.

Simon Philip, a plucker at the estate who has worked with the estate when it was both under government and Mandala, he never thought conditions of service would ever improve.

“Since Mulli Brothers Group bought this estate, life has completely changed. We are the highest paid estate workers around this area,” Philip mused.

He explained that his life and that of his family has improved tremendously, saying for a very long time now he lives in company house at the estate.

“Not long ago, only clerks and above used to occupy the house,” he added.

In another interview, Jonasi Banda disclosed that since government privatized Chitakale and the estate, life has been changing for the better.

Henry Monda, acting accountant at Chitakale Teas Estate, the situation seems to be improving for the better as they are now able to make timely monthly payments for green leaf and provide production input loans and extension service to growers.

“Payments have improved by 60 percent. It was not easy for temporary labourers to receive their payment after a fortnight, but that is history today. Everyone workers gets his wages on time,” explained Monda.

“General working conditions have also improved. In times of sickness or indeed death, workers are provided with all the support they need. All these did not happen in the past,” he said.

END