Small tea growers in the Nilgiris region have appealed to the government to extend a two-year moratorium to the Bought Leaf Factories (BLF) to enable the latter to switch their production process from Black tea to Orthodox tea, Green tea and value-added teas.
Submitting their plea to the KPMG evaluation team — deputed by the Tea Board for implementation of the XII Plan scheme — HN Sivan, Founder-President of the Nilgiris Nelikolu Micro & Small Tea Growers and Farmers’ Development Society (NSTF), cited the findings of the Food and Agriculture Organization about the falling demand for black tea in the coming years.
“Being suppliers of the green leaf to these factories, small growers have every right to demand about the end product also. Mini and micro-factories designed for production of Speciality Teas must be encouraged,” Sivan said and alleged the Tea Board was receiving the applications from small growers for establishment of such factories but was not processing the applications.
“The Board, on the other hand, is urging the applicants to change to establishment of BLFs, and the Centre’s scheme for establishment of such factories (announced three years back) has remained only on paper. This should be implemented without further delay,” he said.
“The formation of the District Green Leaf Price Monitoring Committee is a welcome move, but small growers are yet to realise the actual benefits,” Sivan said, seeking an amendment in the existing (65:35) price sharing formula to 75:25, as in Kenya.