Tea Board to fund tea smallholders

The Sri Lanka Tea Board ( SLTB) will assist tea smallholders with a financial stimulus package as an allocation of approximately Rs. 300 million has been made for this purpose.

The SLTB believes that to deal with issues in low crop resulting in reduced production due to the drought and lack of replanting, a stimulus package would support the tea smallholders to overcome these concerns going forward, SLTB Chairman Jayampathy Molligoda told the Business Times.

He noted that already the board has drawn up plans and were working on the distribution of the financial assistance to this sector.

The authorities would be granting this financial support in order to establish nurseries and the purchase of planting material in addition to carrying out appropriate drip irrigation or sprinkler systems and soil building with all the required nutrients from day one.

Funds for this type of support is being obtained from the Tea Promotion