Africa-Press – Mauritius. A ceremony for the payment of the Winter Allowance to tea growers, organised by the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security in collaboration with the Small Farmers Welfare Fund, was held, yesterday, at Mohall Hall in Grand Bois. Some 1,120 tea planters are benefitting from the Winter Allowance, this year, amounting to around Rs 7 million.
The Minister of Health and Wellness, Dr Kailesh Kumar Singh Jagutpal; the Parliamentary Private Secretary, Dr Muhammad Ismael Rawoo; the Senior Chief Executive of the Ministry of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Medha Gunputh; and other personalities were present.
On this occasion, 19 registered tea planters benefitted from a grant of Rs 10,000 under the Mini Tea Harvester Scheme. In his address, Minister Jagutpal underlined that the Winter Tea Allowance showed the commitment of Government to support tea growers and encourage them to continue their plantations.
He recalled that Budget 2022/2023 made provision to extend the payment of the Income Support Scheme to tea planters, adding that the allowance was payable on the shortfall in the production of tea leaves incurred during the winter period for crop season 2021/2022.
He informed that the amount of Rs 1.50 per kilo of tea leaves harvested paid to planters had been reviewed to Rs 2.00 per kilo. “Mauritius,” he said, “is going through a difficult phase due to the repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war.
” He added that it was important to encourage self-sufficiency and boost local production.
He lauded the Winter Allowance initiative, which would allow tea planters to earn their livelihoods and improve their conditions, given the present context. Minister Jagutpal also spoke of several initiatives put in place to support tea planters in their endeavours.
These comprise: Rehabilitation of roads and construction of appropriate drainage systems in tea plantations; Crop Loss Compensation Scheme; and Distribution of 10 000 tea plantlets free of charge to registered tea planters. He urged tea planters to take advantage of these incentives, produce better quality of tea, and preserve tea culture in Mauritius.
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