Tea smallholders want more for infilling, replanting

Tea smallholders have requested an increase in the payments made to them for infilling and replanting announced last month through their 21 proposals submitted to authorities to ensure sustainability of the sector.

Sri Lanka Federation of Tea Small Holders Association President K. L. Gunaratne told the Business Times on Thursday that as part of the 21 proposals submitted to all stakeholders and authorities they have requested an increase in replanting and infilling per plant.

He noted that the current Rs.500,000 provided to the smallholders for replanting needed to increase to Rs. 1 million and added that the present payment of Rs.25 per plant needs to increase to Rs.150 per plant to carry out infilling.

The smallholders also have requested that a tea nursery be established through the initiation of the Tea Small Holders Development Authority and the Tea Research Institute (TRI) and supervision.

He noted that this was imperative to ensure that the smallholders were able to have access to such a nursery to ensure the sustainability of the tea industry.

Mr. Gunaratne explained that laws should be effected for the protection of the crop.

The low productivity has become an issue today among smallholders, Mr. Gunaratne said adding that in this respect they have proposed that 5000 plants should be present per acre as opposed to the current 3000-3500 per acre.

In this respect, they have requested the government to carry out an infilling programme that would also assist them in reducing the cost of production.

Meanwhile, he pointed out that they have created awareness among the smallholder members of their community against the application of the MCPA weedicide.

Vendors have been instructing tea growers of the possibility of diluting MCPA to enhance the growth and extract higher yields. However, this has had adverse impacts subsequently when last year the Japanese market insisted that their residue levels be adhered to in the sale of Ceylon Tea.

Mr. Gunaratne pointed out that since tea growing is the livelihood of most of their members they have understood the gravity of the situation in the application of MCPA on tea and have since the past six months refrained from using it.

Tea smallholders also use zinc sulphate to enhance the growth of teas which is currently approved by the TRI, the President said.