Rs. 4,000 m for tea smallholders

Shirley WIJESINGHE

A subsidy scheme will be introduced for tea smallholders' estates to gear up their production affected by the recent drought, Plantation Industries Minister, D.M.Jayaratne said.

The Government has allocated Rs.4,000 million for the above subsidy scheme. A fertilizer bag of 50 Kg at a subsidized rate of Rs.1000 too will be given to them under the scheme.

Plantation Industries Minister D.M. Jayaratne said that in over 25 percent of the country, tea smallholders are in the replanting stage due to various reasons.

Minister Jayaratne added that over 390,000 tea smallholders will make 75 percent contribution to the total tea production in the country.

"The Government has drawn up a plan to replant 1,500 hectares of tea during this year and allocation of funds for the project has already been finalized, the Minister said.