Question : WELFARE OF SMALL TEA GROWERS

(a) whether a large number of small tea growers in various parts of the country including Assam are being deprived of the benefits from different schemes of the Central Government and are facing starvation;

(b) if so, the details thereof and the remedial action taken by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether the small tea growers are not able to register themselves under tea board in absence for/want of their land holding certificates;

(d) if so, the remedial measures taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) whether such small tea growers including tea growers from Assam are also being deprived of the genuine price of the green leaves produced by them; and

(f) if so, whether the Government has any proposal to regularize such small tea growers to allow them to get proper market value of their produce and if so, the details thereof?

THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF COMMERCE AND INDUSTRY (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SMT. NIRMALA SITHARAMAN)

(a) to (f): Small tea groups are entitled to receive all benefits under the scheme of Tea Development and Promotion implemented by the Tea Board subject to fulfillment of conditions relating to ownership of land and registration as a small grower. With a view to facilitate coverage under the various components of the Scheme, the growers are encouraged to become members of collective units such as Self Help Groups/Producer societies and are provided financial support for upkeep and maintenance of the tea fields as well as proper post harvest handling of green leaf.

A separate Small Growers Directorate with adequate field officers has been set up to address the developmental needs of the small growers. The growers are issued identification card after physical verification of the area cultivated and are assisted to enroll with the primary producer groups or self-help groups. So far, 1,09,848 small growers have been enumerated throughout the country and 50,411 identification cards have been issued.

A price sharing formula (PSF) for the green tea leaves sold by small growers to Bought Tea Factories has been notified as per the provisions of the Tea (Marketing) Control Order. The formula takes into account the cost of production of green tea leaf by the small growers and cost of manufacturing by the Bought Leaf Factories and provides for the net sale proceeds to be shared in the ratio of 65:35. Minimum bench mark prices are fixed and notified for each tea district based on the above formula and payment of green leaf price to the growers is closely monitored by the District Level Price Monitoring Committees set by the Tea Board.