VRS and parallel steps to increase exports to save the tea industry

Holding the tea planters and garden owners responsible for the woes of the state tea industry, Union minister of state for commerce, Jairam Ramesh said a Voluntary Retirement Scheme (VRS) to reduce the size of the workforce and parallel steps to increase exports could be combined to save the tea industry.

Speaking on the sidelines of the inauguration of the office of Tea Board in Siliguri recently, Ramesh said VRS in select cases could help closed or losing tea gardens.

VRS could help the industry survive, more so closed tea gardens suffering from low production.
More workers could be taken on later when the crop size increased.

Holding some tea garden owners responsible for using litigation to block efforts to reopen closed gardens, Ramesh said that of the 14 closed closed tea gardens, only two had been reopened and three would reopen soon.

Other gardens were involved in court proceedings.
Response to the Rs 4700 cr Special Purpose Tea Fund for replantation and rejuvenation of tea gardens over 15 years had been encouraging in Bengal and the Tea Board received applications to replant and rejuvenate 3,300 hectares in Bengal.

SPTF aimed at replantation and rejuvenation of 11,000 hectares per year over the next 15 years to boost global competitiveness of Indian tea, with upto 3000 hectares being replanted in West Bengal.