Small tea growers urged to rent equipment from INDCO tea factories

Small tea growers can now approach the INDCOSERVE tea factories and rent green leaf harvesters, battery-operated sprayers and hedge trimmers.

The initiative was unveiled by Minister for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), T.M. Anbarasan, in Chennai on Wednesday, said a press release from the Nilgiris district administration. According to the release, the equipment is being provided to tide over the ongoing labour shortage in the tea industry, with the 16 INDCO tea factories in the Nilgiris being provided with 1,500 green leaf harvesters, 180 battery-operated sprayers and 160 hedge trimmers. The total cost of the machinery is around ₹3.25 crore and has been handed over to INDCO tea factories in Kundha, Kotagiri and Gudalur.

Small tea growers have been urged to approach the nearest INDCO tea factories and rent the equipment at a nominal charge of ₹50 per piece of equipment every day. The press release stated that the initiative will bring down labour costs and also ease the burden on farmers who are unable to afford expensive harvesting and spraying equipment for their tea fields.

The government had already provided over 1,000 pieces of equipment to farmers in the district, which they said had been met with positive responses from the farmers. The press release added that Mr. Anbarasan also distributed ₹25,000 to tea growers who had supplied the most amount of green tea leaves to the factories over the last two years.