Planters seek Centre's support to overcome crisis

United Planters Association of Southern India (UPASI) Monday sought the Centre's help to resolve the issue over unremunerative prices and high cost of production in the plantation industry.

It is a challenging time for more than one-and-a-half century old plantations in South India that have been providing a livelihood to a large workforce, comprising mostly women, in the not-so-developed and remote locations, UPASI president A E Joseph said.

Plantations being labour-intensive, labour component has high impact on the cost and wages which are very high compared to plantations elsewhere and prices have no co-relation with the cost of production, he said in a statement.

Stating that prices were determined by supply and demand worldwide in today's open economy, he said most of the importers and major buyers insist on sustainability certificate from foreign certification agencies.

They insist on such certificates to ensure themselves that the plantation commodities they procure were produced in a sustainable manner, but it was unfortunate that they do not offer a sustainable price, Joseph said.

Plantation commodities in the country need to improve the land and labour productivity considerably to remain in business and it required considerable investment in research which the industry at present is not in a position to do, he said.

The need of the hour is high-yielding variety planting material resistant to pests and diseases and tolerant to drought and machines for harvesting and field operations suitable to the hilly terrains, Joseph said.

Stating that the government was putting in place necessary regulatory mechanism for doubling farmers income, Joseph expressed hope that with suitable government support, plantation industry would be in a position to overcome the challenges.