The Himachal Pradesh government has decided to offer 50 per cent subsidy on machines and equipment used to pluck tea leaves to provide relief to the states tea industry. Small and scattered land holdings, high cost of labour and production, low productivity levels, and not enough tea auction centres are some of the factors hindering tea development in the state, people associated with the sector said.
Small and scattered land holdings, high cost of labour and production, low productivity levels, and not enough tea auction centres are some of the factors hindering tea development in the state, people associated with the sector said.
The move is expected to benefit about 5,900 tea growers in Palampur, Baijnath, Dharamshala and Kangra areas in Kangra district, Jogindernagar and Karsog areas in Mandi district and Bhattiyat in Chamba.
The landholding of 96 per cent tea growers is less than 0.5 hectares. Earlier, tea growers were not covered under the agriculture tools scheme as equipment used for tea cultivation were different from those used for other crops, Agriculture Secretary Rakesh Kanwar told PTI on Monday. ‘’Now, we have included them and they would get a subsidy for acquiring a certain set of equipment, including tea-plucking machines,’’ he said. This is for the first time that such a subsidy is being given on tea machines.
Tea Cultivation Revival Efforts in Himachal Pradesh: A Comprehensive Overview
Battery-Operated Machines for Small Growers: Provision for battery-operated machines to aid small tea growers.
Challenges in Tea Cultivation Revival: Aim to revive 53% (1,200 hectares) of abandoned and neglected tea cultivation areas.
Distribution of Plants and New Plantations:
Agriculture department distributing plants to farmers.
New plantations initiated in Jogindernagar, Palampur, Dharamshala, and Jaisinghpur.
Current Tea Cultivation Landscape:
Total tea cultivation area: 2,311 hectares.
Well-maintained: 1,096 hectares.
Abandoned, uprooted, or converted: 1,210 hectares (as per 2013 survey).
