A sudden suspension of operations at Lujeri Tea Estates Limited has left over 10 000 estate workers and smallholder farmers in economic despair.
Two weeks ago, management at Lujeri Tea Estates Limited, which contributes 22 percent of Malawi’s tea exports, announced an immediate halt to all tea production.
It also stopped buying tea from thousands of smallholder farmers who sell their tea to the company.
According to information available on www.lujeri.com, by 2007 the number of smallholder farmers selling their tea to the company had increased to 6 000 from 1 100 in 2001.
“These farmers provide 15 percent of the crop processed by [Lujeri Estates Limited’s] four factories,” says the website in its last update, which confirms fears that smallholder farmers affected by the suspension may be in excess of 10 000.
The firm’s managing director Grant Bramsen declined to comment on the matter as he was out of the country.
“I will only be able to respond to your email when I return on August 10 2025,” he said.
But the company’s manager responsible for smallholder farmers, Johnstone Sapulani, confirmed the development.
“It’s true, Lujeri Tea Estates Limited stopped tea production two weeks ago. It is also true that smallholder farmers were told to stop plucking their tea for sale to the company. I am not able to reveal the reasons behind the suspension at the company at the moment.
“However, we will meet in August [this month] to discuss our next move. We have told the farmers to prune their tea trees or, if they have already pruned, to pluck fresh leaves and spread them in the fields for manure as a temporary solution as we wait for the review of the situation,” he said.
A smallholder farmer who owns three hectares of tea in Namainja Village in Mulanje District Stanford Afune complained that they were not warned about the suspension.
“Selling tea has been part of our lives and the only means for our survival. This suspension is a big blow to our livelihoods. We buy food, pay school fees for our children and cover other basic necessities through smallholder tea farming. We feel abandoned,” he said.
A member of Sukambizi Association Trust, a grouping of smallholder farmers who sell their tea to Lujeri Tea Estates Limited, who spoke on condition of anonymity in fear of reprisals, said thousands of farmers whose livelihoods revolve around the tea industry are now stranded.
Explained another member of Sukambizi Adsociation Trust: “Historically, Malawi’s tea sector has been a vital source of income for smallholder farmers, many of whom rely solely on the crop for their daily sustenance. We are doomed following the suspension of tea production at Lujeri Tea Estates Limited.
“Management has told us during meetings with them that the reasons behind the suspension are linked to global market dynamics. They said the world tea market has become less receptive to Malawi’s tea exports.”
The trust’s chairperson Edson Maotchedwe also described the suspension as an economic devastation on the smallholder farmers.
“We rely on tea farming for our daily lives. The suspension means we have nothing to live on. We don’t know when production will resume and our families are suffering,” he said.
An inside source at Lujeri Estates Limited explained that what happens annually is that during the lean season the company suspends production in some of its estates, but allows farmers to take their tea to estates that are operating.
“The trend has been that when production is suspended at Sayama and Lujeri estates, smallholder farmers and the other estates would take their tea to Bloomfield, but suspending production in all estates as done this year, has never happened,” said the source.
Traditional Authority Njema (born Charles Saona) expressed concern for the thousands of farmers and workers who depend on tea for a living.
“These farmers earn a living only through tea farming. Many people in my area and other parts of Mulanje and Thyolo districts also work as labourers in these estates. They are heavily affected,” he lamented.
He also revealed that there is tension between workers and management over bonuses which, he said, already caused unrest at the company.
“Lujeri Tea Estates Limited management promised each worker K500 000 in form of annual bonus but the workers only received K40 000, instead. This may be related to the broader issues facing the estate, including the suspension of production,” he noted.
Minister of Agriculture Sam Kawale declined to comment on the matter, saying it is not a government issue.
“It is a private company. I cannot speak without engaging them first,” he said.
In an email response, Tea Association of Malawi (TAML) chief executive officer Tonda Chinangwa said there was nothing strange about Lujeri Tea Estates Limited management suspending production.
“Tea is a seasonal agriculture crop whose volumes and quality depend on the weather and rainfall patterns. Lujeri Tea Estates Ltd has suspended plucking as part of its seasonal shut-down as leaf volumes and quality are at their lowest.”
Incidentally, it is only Lujeri Tea Estates Limited that has suspended production as other companies such as Eastern Produce Malawi (EPM) Limited in both Mulanje and Thyolo districts are still operating and smallholder farmers are also still selling their tea to the companies.
Weighing in on the matter, agriculture expert Tamani Nkhono-Mvula said there is need for structured interventions to do away with such a development.
He argued that smallholder farmers are particularly vulnerable because they lack contracts and market security.
“These farmers need protection. They only have one market, which are these estates. Companies should establish formal contracts with these farmers to safeguard their rights, especially during crises like this one.”
Nkhono-Mvula also proposed that farmers should form cooperatives to allow them to aggregate their produce and negotiate better terms.
“Cooperatives give farmers collective bargaining power. This way, in situations like this, they can quickly find alternative markets. The government and the Tea Association of Malawi should also step in to stabilise the tea industry by establishing alternative markets, including engaging other companies operating close to the farmers.
He further advised: “The government should facilitate market diversification and put in place policies to protect smallholder farmers’ rights and ensure they are not left vulnerable to unilateral decisions by large companies.”
The current crisis underscores broader challenges facing Malawi’s tea industry, including global market fluctuations, inadequate farmer protections and the need for sustainable supply chain management.
Lujeri Tea Estates Limited is the country’s second biggest producer of tea after Eastern Produce Limited which contributes 38 percent of the country’s tea exports.
Tea is Malawi’s second biggest forex earner after tobacco producing around 51 000 metric tonnes of tea annually and employs over 50 000 workers in the former sector and supports around 17 000 small holder farmers.
In 2023, Malawi’s tea exports totalled $76.1 million, with the United Kingdom, South Africa and the United States being the main export destinations.
