Basil assures boost for tea small holders

Minister of Economic Development Basil Rajapaksa stated that the Government headed by the President will leave no stone unturned in preserving and developing industries including tea small holdings.
He stressed the fact that the Government did not fail to intervene when ever the problems relating to the industries including tea small holdings and agriculture arose.
These views were expressed by the Minister addressing a ceremony held recently in the Hali Ela National School premises for awarding financial assistance reserved for water and soil conservation to the tea small holders in the Badulla district in keeping with Budget 2014 proposals.
This ceremony was jointly organised by the Ministry of Plantation Industries and Tea Small Holdings Development Authority for awarding financial assistance to 924 beneficiaries.
Financial assistance is granted as per the proposal included under Small Holdings Economy in the Budget-2014 Proposals by the President. A sum of Rs. 200 million has been set apart for soil and water conservation under the theme ‘Let us join in conserving soil and water for a golden tea harvest’.

Total amount granted for an acre of tea is Rs. 5,000, out of which Rs. 2,500 is given in the first phase and the balance of Rs. 2,500 at the completion. The first phase will cover tea small holdings of less than two acres in extent.
There are 20,656 tea small holders with 29,942 small holdings amounting to 800 hectares in the Badulla District. There are 63 tea factories and financial is due to be granted to 20,358 small holders in the Badulla district.
The Minister added that even a highly developed country could not prevent occurrence of natural calamities such as such as earth slips, earth slides, floods and drought. However, he further explained, that this program lunched under the theme ‘Let us join in conserving soil and water for a golden tea harvest’ by the President  will help the tea growers to minimise the impact of  the natural disasters while strengthening their economy.

Minister Basil Rajapaksa added that in spite of a heavy demand for Sri Lanka tea in foreign countries, the political and economic conditions prevailing in those countries have a direct impact on deciding the tea prices. However, the Government will not allow such conditions to have a thrust upon the tea small holders in our country.
Ministers Nimal Siripala de Silva and Dilan Perera, Deputy Minister Earl Gunasekera, Member of Parliament Udith Sanjaya Lokubandara and TSHDA Chairman Noel Pathmasiri were among the large gathering on this occasion.