International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development

Tea marketing offers opportunities for both monetary gains and improvements in the social and economic welfare of households, including better income, access to education and healthcare, improved housing, and employment opportunities. Despite its importance, the contribution of tea marketing to household welfare remains unclear, with farmers facing challenges such as fluctuating prices, limited market access, inadequate infrastructure, and insufficient knowledge of value addition. This study assessed the contribution of tea marketing to the social and economic welfare of smallholder tea farmers using Buhweju District as a case study. A cross-sectional descriptive design was used. The target population comprised 1,250 smallholder tea farming households from four major tea-producing sub-counties (Nyakishana, Burere, Engaju, and Nyakashaka), from which a representative sample of 297 households was selected through a multistage sampling technique, and key informants including cooperative managers and local leaders were purposively selected for qualitative interviews. Data were collected using close-ended structured questionnaires and interview guides. Quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, while qualitative data were organized through thematic content analysis. Tea marketing significantly contributed to household welfare, with 76.8% reporting improvements in housing, 76.8% accessing credit for agricultural purposes, and 74.4% acknowledging empowerment of women within households, although only 45.5% reported increased household income and 30.3% were able to save or invest from tea earnings. Additional income sources included small businesses (47.1%), livestock products (32.7%), and off-farm employment (20.2%). The study concludes that tea marketing enhances social and economic welfare in areas such as housing, access to credit, and women’s empowerment, but its impact on household income remains uneven, highlighting the need for targeted interventions to improve market access, stabilize prices, and promote financial management to maximize benefits for smallholder farmers in Buhweju District.