Mozambique: Government removes restrictions on pigeon pea exports to India
The largest tea plantations in Mozambique are located in Gurué. Despite the low pay, for many this is the only way they have of supporting their families.
Morning harvesting begins the process
Harvesting tea leaves is done between 4:00 and 7:00 o’clock in the morning. The leaves are then taken to the factory where they will be placed in drying machines before being crushed and made into the final product. Every day, workers have the goal of collecting 50 kilograms of leaves. If they can’t, their salary will be even more meagre.
Favourable climate
The mountainous terrain means temperatures are below 20 degrees in Gurué. In the winter period, between May and June, tea plants produce fewer leaves. As a result, there is less seasonal labour, and production is lower, according to the managers and experts in this culture.
Low pay
Most of the labour in harvesting tea leaves is done by older people, young people declining to be involved because of the low pay. On average, the daily wage varies between 100 and 120 meticais (about EUR 1.50), depending on individual effort.
Chazeiras de Moçambique – Gurué
The factory has industrial capacity for 50 tons of green tea leaves, equivalent to 10 tons of bagged tea. Among the main export markets are Dubai, Germany, Poland, the United States and India. The company has 200 permanent workers and 2,000 local seasonal workers.
Safety at work
Safety at the factory for workers and visitors is strict. Precautionary measures are written on the front door of the facility and on the walls that give direct access to the tea processing machines.
Harvesting tea: a fall-back option
Baptista Alexandre Ricardo, 55 years old, has been working in the industry for fifteen years. He is the seasonal worker with more time of home in the company “Chazeiras de Gurué”. For him, it was the one possible alternative. “When I was young, I dreamed of a good job, but I never got one,” he says. As an alternative, he ended up going to the factory where he got used to the job, and has now been doing it for more than a decade.
Several ‘chazeiras’ companies
One of the tea-producing companies is the Zambezia Development Society, located in Bairro Murece, which takes its name from the nearby mountain chain. The company produces, processes and exports tea. One of the countries to which it exports is Kenya. Domestically, the company’s tea is mostly consumed in Sofala and Manica provinces and in the city of Quelimane.
Sacrifices for the family
Galhardo Gemusse (left) and Estefânio Janeiro (right) are life-long companions who have been picking tea together to support their families for seven years. Desperate for an economic and professional life, Estefânio, 24, did not have much choice. He got married early and has a family to take care of.
Firewood is essential in drying the leaves
In addition to electricity, firewood is essential for the preparation of tea. The trunks of the trees are put in furnaces which dry the leaves. The majority of workers in this area of activity are young. Their job is to manually load the logs into the fire. This sector operates 24 hours a day, in rotating shifts.
Opportunities for women in Gurué are missing
Alura Jorge is one of the few women picking tea at Chazeiras de Moçambique, and has only been in the job a month. According to her, Gurué has few employment opportunities for single women.
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