Fall in prices of tea leaves puts farmers in a quandary

Factories procure green leaves at Rs.6-7 a kg

The sudden fall in the prices of green tea leaves has put small-scale tea growers in a crisis in the prime season beginning with the summer rain.

The factories of main tea estates, the sole agencies that procure green tea leaves, are collecting the leaves at Rs.6 to 7 a kg as against the previous price of Rs.16 a kg. There are an estimated 12,000 small-scale tea growers who provide tea leaves to the factories. The factories sometimes reject the leaves, leaving farmers with no other option but to abandon the plucked leaves.

Small-scale Tea Growers Federation State chairman Y.C. Stephen told The Hindu that there were a number of farmers in areas such as Calvery Mount, Upputhara, Kunjithanny and Bison Valley. In areas where there were no procuring agencies, the farmers themselves transported the leaves to the factories. If the transportation got delayed, the bundle would become unfit for use.

He said that had the three factories proposed for small-scale tea growers in the Idukki Package were set up, it would have come as a solution to their woes.

Even if the leaves were rejected by the factories, the farmers had to pluck the leaves in time to maintain the plants.

Highest yield

P.P. Mathew, a farmer at Upputhara, said they got the highest yield in the two plucking after the summer rain. If a farmer got 500-kg yield in the two plucking after the summer rain, the entire yield during the year might not cross more than twice that. Farmers usually plucked leaves by hand every 15 days and if it was machine cutting, it would take 40 days for the next yield, he said.

Njanasikhamani, a farmer at Valardi, said the farmers had to suffer losses if the tea leaves were sold to distant factories as they had to bear the transportation cost.

High price for tea dust

Shiby, a farmer at Thankamani, said the factories kept the rate at as low as Rs.3 a kg while the prices of tea dust remained high, he said.

Mr. Stephen said farmers did not get financial aid for natural calamities as growing tea came under the Industries Department. He said the small-scale tea growers should be brought under the Agriculture Department and a minimum price should be ensured for the green leaves.