Plantation industry faces acute shortage of labour

Labour shortage in the plantation industry has intensified in the last 3-4 years, with the availability of skilled and unskilled labourers dropping by over 20 per cent. Rapid industrialisation and improvement in the socio-economic conditions have lured labourers to urban areas. This is affecting agricultural operations and harvesting of plantation crops, consequent to which crop yield and returns have diminished, said Ajoy Thipaiah, chairman, the Karnataka Planters’ Association (KPA).

Addressing a press meet on the occasion of 51st Annual General Meeting of the KPA, Thipaiah said while the wages fixed by the government for the plantation industry are Rs 103 per day, planters are willing to pay up to Rs 130-140. However, even at these levels, they are finding it difficult to get workers, he said.

The social costs on labour, which the state and local authorities are responsible for, are totally being borne by the planters. This has further added to input costs, making production highly expensive, he said. The 51stAnnual Conference of KPA will be inaugurated on November 14, in Bangalore.