NILGIRIS: Opposition parties and DMK’s allies said government tea factories are paying farmers Rs 3 per kg less than the MSP fixed by the district committee for tea leaves.
On Thursday, representatives of AIADMK, BJP, CPI, CPM, VCK, PMK, DMDK, Naam Tamilar, and Badagadesa Party, raised the issue during a joint meeting held in Udhagamandalam, and urged the government to hand over the tea factories to farmers.
Speaking to TNIE, Manjai V Mohan, coordinator of the meeting and founder of Badagadesa Party, said, ‘In October, the tea fixation committee headed by district collector, Lakshmi Bhavya Tanneru, and the Tea Board Executive Director fixed Rs 24.59 for a kg of green tea leaves. However, the INDCO tea factories run by the state government is giving Rs 3 less than the fixed rate. This is very low, and small-scale farmers would not be able to continue cultivation of tea at this price.”
“We convened the meeting, as several rounds talks with INDCO and also MSME minister TM Anbarasan, who is the deciding authority, did not yield results. After the government-run factories reduced the price, most farmers started selling to private factories, and that resulted in losses to INDCO. Only a few farmers are supplying to INDCO,” he added.
“All the 16 factories functioning in the district should procure from farmers as per October price before December 21. Otherwise, we will stage protest. If the state government unable to run the factories, it can give them to the trade unions and farmers,” said K Gopalakrishnan of AIADMK district deputy secretary.