Adverse weather hits tea production

by S.M. Jiffrey Abdeen, Kandy South Group Cor.

Very strong blowing and heavy rain has dealt a cruel blow to the tea planting areas of Dickoya and Bogawantalawa resulting in low crops during the last few days. The sun had hardly came out this week and there has been very heavy rains followed by strong blowings. Both these conditions retard the growth of tea leaves, a tea planter speaking on the condition of anonymity said.

The soaring costs of production for a kilogram of tea will be over of Rs. 1,200. The more we manufacture, the more we will lose and it will have a very bad effect on the working capital of the tea estates.

Under the circumstances it is prudent to lie low and await for better times in the best interest of plantation workers.

Commenting on the low performance one estate in Bogawantalawa reported only 4 kilograms of green tea leaves per worker. The plucking cost here will be around Rs. 100 or more per kilogram. It requires around six kilograms of green tea leaf to manufacture a kilogram of made tea. The manufacturing costs and the direct and indirect overheads are also factors to be reckoned.

The expenditure is not green tea leaf alone.

In the past we have been offering 26 days of work per week. At times we had also the workers to reported for extra pay.

The lush green leaves on the bushes must be harvested on time as otherwise it will mature and the end product at the factory will be fibrous and will reflect on the prices and quality put out by the plantation, he said.

We are trying our best to help the workers we understand their plight and in turn they should understand our position. In better times we have been helping them and therefore it is very important that both parties should understand each and the present situation in beyond out, he said.