Scheme to raise orthodox tea output on cards
The Centre would implement a 5-year plan to increase the orthodox tea production in the country from 80 million tones to 120 million tones.
By TNN |
KOCHI: The Centre would implement a 5-year plan to increase the orthodox tea production in the country from 80 million tones to 120 million tones.
Addressing a press conference here Union minister of state for commerce Jairam Ramesh said that the Tea Board would be asked to reorient its subsidy scheme as to encourage orthodox tea production.
Presently, the orthodox tea production accounts for just 10% of the total tea production in the country. However, the major buyers like the countries in Europe and Russia are importers of orthodox tea. This is considered as one of the reasons for the decline in tea exports to Russia from the country.
The minister said that a delegation of the tea industry consisting of the Tea Board chairman, members from Upasi and Indian Tea Association would leave for Egypt on Thursday. A tea marketing centre would be opened in Cairo. A delegation led by Tea Board would also visit Pakistan on April 14 and 15.
A total number of 55 applications have been received for the disbursal of the Special Purpose Tea Fund of Rs 4,760 crore from the south. Of this 36 are from Kerala, 17 from Tamil Nadu and 2 from Karnataka. The disbursal would commence on June last week at Coimbatore. Before that the disbursal of the fund for the northern tea industry would commence at Guwahati and Jorhat.
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The government would appointment a technical consultant to revive electronic tea auction. The plan is to implement the project by November. Mr Ramesh will meet Kerala chief minister, labour minister and the agriculture minister to discuss the proposal to reopen the 17 estates that are lying closed. The proposal is to reopen them by implementing the management model of the Kannan Devan Hill Plantation Company.Too busy to trade in stocks? Invest in Mutual Funds with ET Money!
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