GUWAHATI, Feb 10 ? In view of the Union Finance Ministry announcing a subsidy upto Rs 8 per kg to small tea growers from February for four months, the Tea Board of India is trying to prepare a comprehensive data on the volume of green leaf grown by small growers.
The Tea Board while drawing up the scheme for payment of the subsidy announced for registered small growers having holding upto 10-12 hectares has asked all tea producers? associations to collect information through their member gardens on green leaf purchase made by them during 2003 in order to prepare comprehensive data on green leaf grown by small growers.
As a consequence to the Tea Board?s directive, the tea gardens will now be required to submit a list having details about month-wise purchase of green leaf throughout the year 2003. The Tea Board of India earlier through a letter No. 12/23/LC/2003/XII/3317 dated Jan 20, 2004 informed the tea manufacturers associations in the country about a formula for sharing of sale proceeds between small growers and manufacturers.
As per the formula prepared by the Tea Board every registered manufacturers of tea engaged in purchasing tea leaf from tea growers shall share the total gross proceeds from the sale of such manufactured tea with the tea growers supplying green leaf at rates not less than that fixed for different tea growing States/regions.
As per the formula prepared by the Tea Board in Assam, West Bengal, Nilgiris, Kerala and Tripura the share of tealeaf growers is fixed at 60 %, in Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal it is 57 % and in the rest of the country it is fixed at 60 %. As per the Tea Board price sharing formula, the reasonable green leaf price per kilogram payable to tea growers by tea manufacturers should be based in made tea out turn percentage as specified for different tea growing areas.
The made tea out turn percentage for tea in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tripura and Bihar fixed at 21.50 while the same for Tamil Nadu is 23, Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal is 26.40.