Amid reports of the Centre considering a package for the GJM-strife hit Darjeeling tea industry, small tea-growers in this region have urged the Tea Board to cover them under any relief measure, being contemplated by the government for large tea estates.
Close to 880 small tea-growers cultivate about 192 hectares of land in the hilly region. They sell their green tea leaves to the big estates and were among the worst affected during this year’s three-and-a-half month strike in Darjeeling during the peak second-flush season in June.
The second flush season in the May-July period yields some of the priciest teas. This crop, accounting for about 70% of total Darjeeling output, was affected by Gorkha Janmukti Morcha’s separatist agitation from mid–June to late-September.
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“Most small growers have already adopted organic cultivation methods and were hit by the strife,” said Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, president, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA).
“They are registered growers and should be included in any revival package being considered for the large tea estates. This issue has been flagged before the Tea Board at its last meeting here,” he said.
Darjeeling industry sources said that this segment’s output was around one lakh kg annually and they have been producing tea for about two decades. The small tea growers segment now accounts for about 45% of India’s total tea crop.
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Former Tea Board chairman and present Joint Secretary, Plantations, Union Commerce Ministry Santosh Sarangi, had said at a meeting here last week that the ministry had sought additional financial assistance from the Department of Expenditure to find “mechanisms to support the Darjeeling tea industry which had suffered for three-and-a-half months for extraneous reasons. We have received proposals from ITA and the Darjeeling Tea Association,” Mr. Sarangi said.
He later elaborated that while the Tea Board would work out the final contours of the package, the aim would be to extend assistance for replanting and rejuvenating the gardens which had suffered overgrowth due to prolonged closure.
‘₹500-crore loss’
The loss has been estimated ₹500 crore by value and 70% by crop loss volume, according to ITA.
The ITA in its appeal, sought moratorium on long term loans and interest subsidy on short term ones. Additionally it also wanted early clearance of pending subsidies and enhancement of export subsidy claims. The DTA’s proposal was also similar.