Centre doles out aid for NE tea growers

Special package to benefit SHGs, FPOs

First serve: A financial aid of ₹7 per plant would be given and 25% of the amount would be released upfront.

To encourage farmers in the North East to start tea cultivation, the Centre has worked out a special assistance package that entails financial support for raising new tea plants and setting up mini tea-processing factories.

The scheme would be available only for small tea growers clubbed under self-help groups and as farmers producers organisations (FPOs). It would run as the Tea Development & Promotion Scheme under the Medium Term Framework rolled out by the Centre recently. The tenure is from December 2017 to March 2019. The package would be covered under the ₹136.5 crore scheme for plantation development.

Income initiative

Although there is reservation among sections of the organised tea industry on the issue of expanding tea growing areas, the government has linked its policy initiatives with creating a regular income stream for the NE States, saying that this would play a significant role in weaning farmers away from jhum cultivation (shifting cultivation).

It was also felt that the non-traditional areas of the North East have a high potential of growing and manufacturing teas suited to consumers’ taste. Efforts made during the previous plan periods have resulted in creating awareness on this issue among the region’s small farmers.

Assam accounts for a bulk of India’s tea crop (676.3 million kg in 2017-18), followed by West Bengal (387.9 million kg) and South India (233.7 million kg), contributed by Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. While these are regarded as traditional tea-growing areas, nine other states also grow tea. These include Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Mizoram, Bihar, Sikkim, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Their total output was 27.2 million kgs in 2017-18.

For obtaining assistance under this scheme, at least 10 growers would have to come together. Financial assistance of ₹7 per plant would be given with 25% of the amount being released upfront for enabling the SHG to start work. The balance would be released in three equal tranches linked with work progress. The small growers in the North Cachar Hills and Karbi Anglong district of Assam would also be covered under this scheme. The Centre would also provide half the cost (with a ₹33 lakh ceiling/factory) for setting up mini tea factories by SHGs. They would also get assistance for attending training workshops and study tours. President of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association, Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, said that this scheme would encourage small growers in the new areas who were suffering due to funds crunch. “They will be benefited by this dedicated fund,” he said.