JORHAT, June 18 – “The tea industry in Assam will face serious consequences for ignoring the precautions prescribed by the scientists more than half a century ago,” said Dr Dina Nath Boruah, retired tea scientist of Tocklai Experimental Station.
Boruah, talking to The Assam Tribune, added that the owners of the huge tea estates in the State were advised to replant in their gardens in 1949. But most of them ignored the warning made by the noted plant-physiologist. The most crucial aspectof the blunder is that lakhs of the tea garden workers would, as a result, turn jobless. This would break the social equilibrium in the State, Baruah added.
Normally a tea plant remains economically profitable till 50 years. After crossing this age it loses its productivity.
As one of the major tea producing regions in the world, more than 3 lakh and 30 thousand hactares of land in the northeast India are covered by the green carpet of tea plantation. More than 360 million kg of tea from organized sector have been produced annually in Assam.
“We advised tea estate owners to replant two per cent of the estate annually. But they did not pay heed”, said Baruah, the 94-year-old scientist. He also opined that the decreasing rate of production in the tea estates had discouragedthe owners to maintain them properly. Therefore, the companies like Tata and Hindustan Uniliver are reducing the number of their gardens, he added.
When contacted, Dr Mridul Hazarika, Director of Tea Research Association (TRA) told this Correspondent that the rate of re-plantation in the old tea gardens is very slow. The rate should be increased to avoid unwanted situation the teaindustry is sure to face.
He also said that the Tea Board has set up a ‘Special Purpose Tea Fund Scheme’ for financing tea industry for undertaking re-plantation and rejuvenation of old tea plantation. The size of the fund is around Rs 4700 crore over a period of 15 years. The scheme would save the situation leading the production to a positive direction, he said.
When contacted, a tea planter, seeking anonymity, told to this Correspondent that three factors hinder the process of replantation. Firstly, the loss of production from the replanted area, secondly, this re-plantation is a costly affair and thirdly this process consumes a long time.
He further said that the uprooting of the old tea trees takes a lot of toil and cash on the part of the owners. And the period to rejuvenate the cleared land takes about two years. The new plantation in the area also needs minimum three years to become productive. Thus this process needs at least five years andthe owners do not want to lose the little production they had been receiving from the old plantation when the market of tea is not conducive.
Another tea planter said that the Special Purpose Tea Fund Scheme provided only 25 per cent of the cost of replantation. And this too was provided only after the replantation work completes with the money from the pockets of the owners.
Source:http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jun1910/at07
Boruah, talking to The Assam Tribune, added that the owners of the huge tea estates in the State were advised to replant in their gardens in 1949. But most of them ignored the warning made by the noted plant-physiologist. The most crucial aspectof the blunder is that lakhs of the tea garden workers would, as a result, turn jobless. This would break the social equilibrium in the State, Baruah added.
Normally a tea plant remains economically profitable till 50 years. After crossing this age it loses its productivity.
As one of the major tea producing regions in the world, more than 3 lakh and 30 thousand hactares of land in the northeast India are covered by the green carpet of tea plantation. More than 360 million kg of tea from organized sector have been produced annually in Assam.
“We advised tea estate owners to replant two per cent of the estate annually. But they did not pay heed”, said Baruah, the 94-year-old scientist. He also opined that the decreasing rate of production in the tea estates had discouragedthe owners to maintain them properly. Therefore, the companies like Tata and Hindustan Uniliver are reducing the number of their gardens, he added.
When contacted, Dr Mridul Hazarika, Director of Tea Research Association (TRA) told this Correspondent that the rate of re-plantation in the old tea gardens is very slow. The rate should be increased to avoid unwanted situation the teaindustry is sure to face.
He also said that the Tea Board has set up a ‘Special Purpose Tea Fund Scheme’ for financing tea industry for undertaking re-plantation and rejuvenation of old tea plantation. The size of the fund is around Rs 4700 crore over a period of 15 years. The scheme would save the situation leading the production to a positive direction, he said.
When contacted, a tea planter, seeking anonymity, told to this Correspondent that three factors hinder the process of replantation. Firstly, the loss of production from the replanted area, secondly, this re-plantation is a costly affair and thirdly this process consumes a long time.
He further said that the uprooting of the old tea trees takes a lot of toil and cash on the part of the owners. And the period to rejuvenate the cleared land takes about two years. The new plantation in the area also needs minimum three years to become productive. Thus this process needs at least five years andthe owners do not want to lose the little production they had been receiving from the old plantation when the market of tea is not conducive.
Another tea planter said that the Special Purpose Tea Fund Scheme provided only 25 per cent of the cost of replantation. And this too was provided only after the replantation work completes with the money from the pockets of the owners.
Source:http://www.assamtribune.com/scripts/detailsnew.asp?id=jun1910/at07
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