UPASI meet: Costs, not climate change, causing pain, say planters

The 125th annual conference of the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) seems to have ushered in a change, not in just the format of the conference but its objective as well.

Titled “Winds of Change”, the summit this year largely focused on the disruptive changes happening in the industry world-over. Ironically, however, it was obvious that the planters detest the term “climate change”.

While industry stakeholders agree that temperatures are on the rise due to prolonged drought and attribute the rise in temperature to conversion of land for industrial and residential purposes, they feel the current crisis has more to do with the price of the produce rather than climate change per se .

Speaking on the sidelines of the summit, Jacob Thomas, Managing Director, Malankara Plantations, and past president of UPASI said: “There is a perception that the heavy rain and flooding in Kerala and Tamil Nadu in August this year was due to deforestation. But if you go into history, you will realise that there have been such heavy spells earlier in 1891, 1924 and 1961. It seems to be coming at regular intervals, say once in four – five decades.

“A majority of the landslides were reported where there was heavy tree growth. While tree growth is essential, when the downpour is very heavy for 3 -4 days without a break and the outlets are all blocked, it will naturally lead to flooding.

“In fact, out of the 37,000-odd hectares under tea, not even 50 hectares was affected. This was because the roots of the bushes are not deep, do not travel beyond 3 -4 feet,” Jacob said, adding “this is a practical observation.”

According to him, the main problem that is affecting the plantation industry at this juncture is the price of the produce.

“A lot can be done to bring down the production cost by mechanising operations, better utilising resources and so on.

Meanwhile, Gabriel Bruckner, Product Designer, Climate Edge, UK said the company was working with small coffee farmers, sensitising them about climate change.

Climate Edge has built weather stations that work on farms, from where it collects data on soil temperature, day-night temperatures in and around the farm and share their findings with the concerned planters to help them take appropriate steps.

Planters are waking up to the reality that climate change could hit them hard. “A lot has been reported about climate change, but we did not think it would happen until it caught us unawares at our doorstep,” said K Rajmohan, a planter in the Nilgiris referring to the recent havoc on the plantations at Valparai in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring state of Kerala.

Planters by and large agree that tea has become a monocrop in the Nilgiris and the transpiration that is taking place has destroyed the ecosystem here.

“Once considered the second Cherapunji of India, Nilgiris is now a water-starved region. It is man-made disaster,” alleged Gautam, a planter in his 70s.

COMMENT NOW