Small Tea Growers Hope for Farmer Benefits: CISTA

Kolkata, Mar 24 (PTI) Small tea growers (STGs) across the country expressed hope that they would be treated at par with the farmers for availing benefits under various welfare schemes meant for the agriculture sector, president of Confederation of India Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA), Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty said on Monday.

There are nearly 2.5 lakh STGs in the country contributing to more than 51 per cent of total tea production owning less than one acre of land.

CISTA said that in the 188th report of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Commerce, the panel is of the view that STGs should be considered at par with the farmers under various welfare schemes for the agriculture sector like Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana and (PMFBY) Pradhan Mantri Krishi Sinchai Yojana (PMKSY) among others. The committee recommended that these recommendations should be taken up with the commerce ministry to extend such essential schemes to the STGs, he said.

"We are hopeful that the commerce ministry will respond to the recommendations in a positive way", Chakraborty added.

The Parliamentary committee in its report observed that despite initial engagement between the Ministry of Commerce and the ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, tangible outcomes are lacking relating to the extension of such benefits to the STGs. The report said that the commerce ministry should actively pursue the inclusion of STGs under these schemes. The eligibility criteria for welfare schemes must be revised to provide the STGs with the same benefits as other farmers, the panel said in the report.

The commerce ministry said that the matter for inclusion of STGs under such farmer welfare schemes with the agriculture department.

The panel also noted that the issue of maximum residue limits (MRLs) of pesticides used during cultivation of tea is adversely affecting exports of the beverage to the EU and other countries. The commerce ministry must take up the issue of rationalisation of MRL levels with the appropriate authority in the EU and other countries. The ministry responded saying that the matter has been taken up with the EU authorities. PTI dc