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| Sunday, 1 June 2003 |
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Alternative lands for tea smallholders by ANJANA GAMAGE The Ministry of Small Holder Development is ready to provide alternative lands for tea smallholders affected by the floods. "The Asian Development Bank has agreed to pay Rs 27,500 for each family as compensation, and the Lanka Cement Corporation has agreed to provide cement at a low cost," Minister of Small Holder Development and MP for Ratnapura Susantha Punchinilame said. The damage caused by floods on tea smallholdings is Rs 2.8 billion. Floods in Ratnapura, Galle, Matara, Hambantota and Kalutara districts have made a serious impact on the smallholders' tea production. About 80 per cent of small tea lands in these areas have been completely destroyed by floods. According to Punchinilame, tea smallholders account for sixty two per cent of the annual tea production in Sri Lanka. The loss to tea smallholders in these areas is said to be around Rs 1,736 million while the loss to the national economy is estimated at around Rs 2,799 million. "About 150,383 tea smallholders have been affected. It has also been said that some affected tea estates will take at least three months to re-start. Meanwhile, tea lands in Ratnapura, Nivitigala, Ayagama, Elapatha, Kalawana and Kuruwita areas, which were totally destroyed, may never be cultivated," he said. |
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