Tea Act can safeguard interest of small tea growers: New tea board VC

UDHAGAMANDALAM: Here’s some sweet news for the small tea growers in the

Nilgiri

district, who have been demanding minimum support price for green leaf for the last two decades. As per Section 30A of the Tea Act 1953, the government can fix the minimum as well as the maximum price for green leaf,

and also for made-tea

, newly-elected vice-chairman of the

Tea Board of India

,

B Kumaran — a native of the Nilgiris — told TOI

.

The Act has all the provisions to safeguard the small tea growers and other parties involved in the manufacturing of made-tea, he said. “The Act protects the interest of not only the small tea growers, but also the producers, exporters and even wholesalers,” the official said.

There are about 50,000 farmers cultivating tea in over one lakh acres of land in the hill district. While the cost of commodities have gone up by 20% in the last three decades, small tea growers in the Nilgiris fetch only a price between Rs 11 and Rs 15 per kg for green leaf since 1990.

Asked why the tea board has been silent all these years about the demand of the small tea farmers,

Kumaran

said, “Tea does not fall under the essential commodity category like sugar, rice or wheat. But, still the Act provides such a clause to ensure the farmers a good price. The tea board has to take serious steps so that the ministry concerned would fix a minimum price for green leaf provided in the act and get justice to the farmers.”

Stating that the tea marketing control (TMC) order has been amended recently to carry out the high court direction, the official pointed out that the district green leaf monitoring committee has been formed based on the amendment. The committee fixes monthly price for green leaf tea, in which 65% of the auctioned price of the made-tea goes to the farmers. Thus the direction of the court is being executed.

But, still the farmers are not getting a fair cost price for the green leaf tea. “Tea board has to take steps to bring about a permanent solution. Traders are the main people in the industry selling the product. In fact, there is a huge gap between the price fetched by the farmers and the price paid by the consumers. Neither the farmers nor the consumers are benefited. Only the traders are benefited. Hence, the board will soon take proper steps to eliminate the huge gap in pricing. For this, modalities have to be worked out. Obviously, all problems lie in the auctioning centres. While I cannot answer for the past actions, I can assure now that the board will take steps to fix a minimum price for made-tea sold at auction centres. That will solve most of the problems. The board will meet the commerce minister soon and insist upon this issue,” Kumaran said.

Talking about an alternative long-lasting solution, Kumaran said, “Under the ‘Make In India’ programme, we will request the defence ministry to set up state-of art tea manufacturing units, at least six, in the district. The made-tea would be absorbed by the ministry for a reasonable price. That would solve the problems of fair price for green leaf tea, job opportunities and also curtail migration of the natives”.


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