State plans to increase productivity on tea estates

The government is looking at increasing productivity on the Regional Plantation Companies ( RPCs) by encouraging re- planting and soil conservation while linking this to the revenue sharing model will make them greener.

“We are trying to develop some productivity improvements like encouraging re- planting and soil conservation,” Plantations Ministry Secretary J. A. Ranjith told the Business Times on Wednesday.

He noted that they want to focus on these because the state cannot increase the extent of land but productivity on the plantations could be improved.

Mr. Ranjith explained that today the RPCs were producing about 300-400 kg per month and the plan is to increase this upto 600 kg per month in future.

Moreover, he pointed out that RPCs were in need of financial assistance but no donors were ready to support due to the shortage of labour as a result of which cost of production has increased and most investors were not ready to cash in on the plantations.

In order to do this the state would be compelled to provide some form of assistance and through the Plantation Management Institute the government is training the plantation management and other officials on how to increase efficiency in their cultivation and establish good practices on the plantations.

Moreover, due to the labour shortage the government is looking at motivating the younger generation to participate in the cultivation sector and also look to encourage the plantations to adopt mechanization.

The main reason for the delay in adopting mechanization was due to the high cost incurred and due to the geographical setting, he explained.

In addition the ministry secretary pointed out that they were looking at increasing the forest cover on the RPCs, which had been discussed with the RPCs and which were monitored.

Planters Association Chairman Sunil Poholiyadde said that there was a forestry master plan in place for each RPC which includes harvesting plus planting but they were restricted to the lands in their possession.

Mechanisation of the estates was “effectively being carried out,” he said adding that this would become a requisite in future as the demand for this increases.

He noted that the same practices already being carried out manually could be mechanized except weeding which today was held up due to the lack of adequate weedicide since glyphosate was banned in 2015.

Commenting on the increase in productivity he explained that the output of the worker was expected to increase with the adoption of the revenue sharing model.

With the next wage negotiations due in 2018, he pointed out that they were hopeful that following discussions with the ministry and the worker unions they would be able to shift the current establishment towards a revenue sharing system in future.