Considering the plight of small growers, the ministry has decided to set up the directorate, which will have 40 to 50 offices, reaching to rural areas, Scindia told reporters on the sidelines of the 119th Annual Conference of United Planters' Association of Southern India (UPASI) here.
The issues concerning growers for the last few years would be sorted by the directorate, he said.
To a question on fixing floor prices for tea, Scindia said tea industry was doing good of late and prices were also going up.
The ministry in coordination with the finance ministry, was making efforts to promote tea both in domestic and foreign markets. As per a new scheme '555' (triple five), markets in Kazhaksthan, Egypt, Iran, US and Russia would be explored, he said.
Earlier responding to UPASI's request on increased prices and non-availability of fertilisers, Scindia said in his address that the ministry was pursuing with Karnataka government to exempt VAT on fertiliser and agricultural inputs, as was done by Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
Referring to mechanisation and non-availability of machinery for plantation sector, he said mechanisation being imperative in view of labour shortage, Government was carrying out research and trials, like harvesters, for giving boost to mechanisation.