The South Indian plantation industry is passing through challenging times due to un-remunerative prices and high cost of production, United Planters Association of South India (Upasi) has said.

The planters’ body has sought government support for the industry to overcome the impasse of rising prices of commodities such as rice, maize, wheat compared with plantation crops, which witnessed only a minimal increase.

Price rise

According to Upasi, paddy price increased 4.86 times, maize 5.67 times, wheat 4.84 times, gram 6.6 times, arhar 7.09 times, moong 8.72 times and urad 7 times, while tea increased only by 2.46 times, coffee arabica 1.92 times and robesta 1.58 times and rubber 2.47 times. If the inflation rate is factored in, the increase should have been 4.36 times.

It is also pointed out that prices of tea, coffee and natural rubber are much below the cost of production. A detailed analysis of the plantation commodity prices with other commodities done from 1995 is quite revealing, said AE Joseph, Upasi president.

As the government is putting in place necessary regulatory mechanism for doubling the farmers’ income, he hoped that the plantation industry would be in a position to overcome the impasse with suitable government support.

However, he emphasised need for high-yielding variety of planting material resistant to pests and diseases and tolerant to drought and machines for harvesting and field operations suitable to the hilly terrains.

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