The Government will provide Rs 5 billion to promote ‘Pure Ceylon Tea’ in the international market in the next five years. This program will be implemented from November 1 this year. Each year Rs 1 billion will be provided for the project.
“The main purpose of this program is to promote value added and finest Ceylon tea products to the world market,” Plantation Industries Minister Mahinda Samarasinghe said.
Tea, rubber and coconut continue to perform well.
He was speaking at the 156th Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Planters’ Association of Ceylon (PA) held in Colombo last week.
“Replanting is an absolute requisite for the survival of the industry. Motivating, generating more income and giving proper social status to estate workers will increase the efficiency in the industry,” the Minister said.
Past Chairman of the Association, G.D.V. Perera said they have made strong representations at various fora. “The Presidential Task Force, Treasury, our Ministry, the Chambers and Departments and many other institutions were not spared in our toil to appeal for the resuscitation of the ‘status quo’ that prevailed a few years ago where we were in the zero rated category on VAT, as indirect exporters in the case of tea,” he said. “This was unfortunately withdrawn from us. However, it was afforded to certain other sectors that were earlier not in that category,” he said.
He appealed for the full and proper disbursement of the Cess fund required for the development activities that would enhance performance and sustenance of the plantation industry.
In the case of rubber, the recent statistics show a good increase in price although currently inclement weather has reduced that number of tapping days.
Despite the problems, rubber witnessed an increase of 8 million kilograms in 2009 to record a total crop of 137 m kilograms. The national average yield grew by 4 percent to record a yield of 1,437 kilograms per hectare. Auction prices continued to remain rather buoyant. The value addition in natural rubber in Sri Lanka is a success story.
More encouragement should be given to add value to the Crepe Rubber which is exclusively produced by Sri Lanka and is known as the ‘Rolls Royce’ of natural rubber.
“The research institutes of tea, rubber and coconut and other crops continue to do their best when one takes into account limited funds available for research and development activities,” Perera said.
source - www.dailynews.lk
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