FOR THE RECORD -- 32:

TEA BOARD LAUNCHES SMS SCHEME 

BY P S SUNDAR

Taking Prime Minister’s ‘Digital India’ concept forward, Tea Board has launched a massive scheme titled ‘SMS Gateway for Small Growers’.

“This will connect 25,000 registered small growers with Tea Board on a regular basis as five SMS will be sent to them every month from now”, Nilgiris Collector Dr P Sankar who launched the scheme told me.

“The SMS will relate to area-specific vital issues including average price they should get from the factories for the green leaf they supply, pest and disease management, quality maintenance and subsidies”, Tea Board Executive Director Paulrasu said.

“We will also link it with banks to help growers get their monies in time”, Tea Board Deputy Director Hariprakash Nair said.

“This will be of immense benefit to growers”, noted Tea Board Vice Chairman D Hegde.

Interestingly, Nilgiris Collector Dr P Sankar has complimented the bought-leaf factories for paying the announced average price without fail.

“There used to be cases of default with some factories not paying the average price fixed by Tea Board to the small growers for the green leaf purchased from them.  Even some co-operative factories, Indco factories, had failed to adhere to this”, he told me.

“We had taken necessary steps and in the last four months, there has been no case of such default at all.  Factories should not produce reconditioned tea and growers should pluck only quality leaves”, he advised.

Among the first SMS Tea Board sent to growers and factory owners was its announcement of Rs 17 per kg as average green leaf price to be paid to growers by bought-leaf factories in The Nilgiris district during April.

 

 (response can also be sent to: pssundar.coonoor@gmail.com)