Despite doing reasonably well, the plantation industry has been unable to attract or recruit the right talent, a senior industry official and past-Chairman of UPASI lamented.
Talking to Business Line on the sidelines of the 120th annual conference of the United Planters’ Association ofSouthern India, he said manpower shortage is quite acute in the industry.
Emphasising the need to get something done soon, he said the Indian Institute of Plantation Management is unable to attract the right talent to the industry. Youngsters prefer to join the software industry rather than a job in the plantation sector.
“Our concern is that the industry would get fragmented if the situation persists,” he said.
Labour productivity is another area where there is considerable scope for improvement. Improved production and productivity at the farm level are of paramount importance for the health of the industry. With costs skyrocketing and going beyond the control of producers, increasing land productivity would help reduce production costs to some extent.
“Less than 50 per cent of farm practices are mechanised. Mechanisation has happened only in weeding and plucking. We have a long way to go,” he said.
To add to the woes of the industry, the rising cost of petrol and diesel is expected to affect the industry.
The only solution for industry is to reinvent and move, think of newer ways to tide over the present situation and compete in the global market