The Hindu Business Line : `Plantation sector's future is in R&D'

BATTING FOR R&D: Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of State for Commerce, and Mr G.V. Krishna Rau, Chairman of Coffee Board, at a press conference in Bangalore on Friday. — G.R.N Somashekar

Bangalore , Aug. 25

Fresh investments and technology adoption are the primary vehicles to rejuvenate the Indian plantation sector and make it more competitive and viable in the current global scenario, said Mr Jairam Ramesh, Union Minister of Commerce for State, here on Friday.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Ramesh said an effort to forge a public-private partnership was being made by bringing together the Government and private research labs to work together in areas of developing newer varieties, which could in turn improve the productivity. The sector is facing structural crisis as the plantations are turning senile and productivity is being impacted due to lack of application of latest technology.

Future plans

"The future of plantation industry depends on research and development," Mr Ramesh said, adding that the plantation sector needs a heavy dose of knowledge-based industry. In a bid to attract and retain the best research talent, the commodity boards were being given freedom to restructure their manpower requirements, he said.

The research laboratories belonging to various institutions like Coffee Board, Tea Board, Rubber Board, Tobacco Board are working in isolation and efforts were being made to bring them together, he pointed out.

This new collaborative-research initiative to develop newer varieties comes at a time when plans are being made to take up massive re-plantation exercise in commodities like tea, coffee, rubber and pepper over the next 10-15 years.

Expert committee

The Special Purpose Tea Fund (SPTF) of Rs 4,700 crore, to take up re-plantation in 40 per cent of tea growing areas would be launched by mid-November, Mr Ramesh said. The Government will contribute Rs 100 crore to the initial corpus of SPTF, whereas banks were expected to contribute 50 per cent and the balance would come from growers and subsidy. Similarly, for the Coffee Board, SBI Caps will do a study on setting up a fund, he said, adding that coffee needs to be replanted in some 90,000 hectares over the next five years.

Meanwhile, Mr Ramesh also said that an expert committee has been set up to develop an effective insurance package to stabilise income of the plantation economy.

The committee consisting of Mr Vijay Kelkar, former finance secretary, Mr N. Rangachary, former chairman, IRDA, Mr Bharat Ramaswamy of Indian Statistical Institute and Mr Subashish Gangopadhyay of CII, is expected to come out with the insurance package by November, he said.

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