NEW DELHI, Dec 21 ? In a move aimed at bailing out the small tea growers, Union Minister of Commerce and Industry, Kamal Nath announced the decision to set up Small Growers Development Agency shortly. Addressing a meeting of Members of Parliament representing the tea growing regions of the country at the Parliament house here today, he said that modalities of the agency proposed to be formed under the Tea Board of India, would be finalised soon.
There are around 1,23,279 small tea gardens spread over the states of Assam, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Tripura, Karnataka, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh, besides the non-traditional North Eastern States and in Orissa and Bihar. Together, the small gardens represent over 98 per cent of all growers in the tea sector with a share of over 21 per cent in India?s tea production.
Responding to demand from the MPs, the Union Minister further indicated that a special package for tea by utilising Re 1 per kg of additional excise duty would be finalised soon and the package would be taken to the Cabinet for approval shortly. That apart, a comprehensive package largely for re-plantation and rejuvenation of old tea bushes was also under formulation to increase productivity of the tea sector in the country, Kamal Nath told the MPs.
The Chief Ministers of the tea growing states would be consulted before finalising the package, which would incorporate suggestions received from MPs. The Minister also emphasised the need to take a holistic view of the problems of tea industry arising out of decline in prices, low
productivity, need for greater export thrust. ?A comprehensive long-term policy for Indian tea and not just piecemeal solution to immediate problems is the answer,? he said.
Earlier, MPs pointing out that tea was the country?s most important agricultural plantation crops, providing employment to over a million workers, suggested various options to bail out the industry reeling under serious crisis. Various issues like improving productivity, review of Plantation Labour Act, quality upgradation for both domestic production and export among others figured during the meeting.
The MPs who attended included Union Minister of State for Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Santosh Mohan Deb, Union Minister of State for Defence, Bijoy Krishna Hendique, Union Water Resources Minister, and Priya Ranjan Dasmunshi were among senior ministers who attended the meeting along with 18 other MPs.
The MPs who attended the meeting from the North East included W Wangyuh, Vanlal Zawma, Narayan Borkatky, Lalit Mohan Suklabaidya among others also attended by top officials of the Commerce Ministry. India accounts for around 14 per cent of the world trade in tea. Indian tea is exported to over 80 countries of the world. Tea is imported into India mainly for the purpose of re-export after value-addition. More than 95 per cent of the imported tea is re-exported. The total import of only about 2 per cent of the domestic production of tea.