Centre for substantial rejuvenation of plantation crops

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 5 (UNI) In a bid to review the plantation sector in Kerala, the Centre proposes to invest Rs 3,000 crore for replantation and rejuvenation of plantation crops in the state, Union Minister of State for Commerce Jairam Ramesh said here today.

The serious problem faced by Kerala was of aged plantations that had low productivity, he said, adding unless substantial rejuvenation was there, the plantation sector could not be renewed.

He was addressing a press conference after holding discussions with Chief Minister V S Achutanandan, other Ministers and officials regarding the plantation sector.

Mr Ramesh said by the end of this month, a consolidated report could be finalised on this.

On the 17 closed tea estates in the state, he said the estate owners had agreed to open them. The RBT group had agreed to open nine tea estates by May 25 and the Pirumedu group would be opening two estates on June 9. The MMJ group had agreed to open five estates.

The estate owners had agreed to open the plantations after talks yesterday, he said and estate owners had asked for certain concessions, which would be taken up. Regarding the rejuvenation of 92 tea gardens, he said the Centre would provide assistance to them.

The state would not have any financial liability. The rejuvenation of the coffee and rubber sectors would be based on similar models.

Financial assistance from the National Horticultural Corporation was expected in the pepper and cardamom sectors. The cashew, cardamom and coconut sectors would receive assistance form the state as well.

Regarding the Spices Park to be set up here, he said pre-quality and testing units would be established at Nedungandum and the final Value Addition Unit at Thodupuzha.

On Kerala's memorandum for a cashew board, Mr Ramesh said it would be looked into.

On replanting age-old crops, he said about 70,000 hecatre of pepper would be replanted at a cost of Rs 350 crore, 25,000 hectare of cardamom at Rs 250 crore, 50,000 hectare of rubber at Rs 350 crore and four lakh hectare of coconut at Rs 1,382 crore.

Mr Ramesh added that the import of tea and coffee had not destroyed the tea sector in the state. However, he said in cardamom and coconut sectors it had posed a problem.

On reviewing the coir sector, he said coir looms in the state would be modernised and an India International Coir festival would be held in October in Alappuzha for promoting coir products.

UNI