Smallholders target 300 million kilograms of tea this year

Tea Smallholders target to increase tea production upto 300 million kilograms during this year and increase their contribution to national production.

Tea Smallholders Association (TSA) Chairman Nevil Ratnayake told Daily News Business that 75.2 percent of the total tea production during the first six months was produced by tea smallholders.

Tea leaves

The total tea production during the first half of this year recorded 166.8 million kilograms and out of the total production 125.7 million kilograms were from tea smallholders.

The national tea production during last year’s first six months was 130.5 million kilograms and of the total production 95.8 million kilograms was produced by tea smallholders.

They contributed to 73 percent of the total tea production during the period. The Association expects to increase the production up to 300 million kilograms by the end of this year and to contribute 75 percent of the national tea production.

The TSA together with the Tea Smallholders Development Authority (TSDA) has taken action to uplift the production and the productivity of the tea smallholders.

They expect to launch a result based extension program by next month to develop and strengthen tea smallholders. “At present the yield per hectare is 2,154 kilograms and we expect to increase it further by accelerating expansion projects. There are over 400,000 tea smallholders however only 250,000 tea smallholders have taken the membership of the association,” Ratnayake said.

He said compared to the total land availability for tea smallholders most of the smallholders have half an acre land, which is insufficient, expensive. This is one of the main reasons why the farmers hesitate to re-plant.

The country needs to focus on increasing the subsidies given to tea smallholders to promote tea replanting, he said.

The TSA, TSDA and the Ministry has submitted a proposal to the Treasury and is awaiting approval.

At present the Government provides a subsidy of Rs 190,000 for low country tea smallholders and Rs 200,000 for up country re-planting. C de S