A financial package for the plantation sector, especially the beleaguered tea producers are on the cards.
| |||||||||||
Disclosing this at the 110th annual conference of the United Planters' Association of South India in Coonoor on Saturday evening, Union Commerce Minister Arun Jaitely said Singh would be meeting the sector's representatives in a week or so to look into their demands for a plan of action.
"The finance minister has asked me to specifically convey this to you all. He is keen on finding solutions, however transient, to the problems faced by some of the plantation commodities," Jaitely said, kindling hopes of revival in the gloomy sector.
The commerce ministry and the four commodity boards will be present at the meeting with Singh for studying the demands and announce some sops on the lines of what has been given to the coffee sector last year.
"That part of the plantation sector (read tea), which has been facing difficulties merits attention and priority. Singh is willing to discuss the issues with the sector and the commerce ministry," Jaitley announced.
Admitting that some of the commodities were in deep mess on account of slump in exports, lower price realisation and high production costs, Jaitely said the government's role would be only transient in nature and the sector would have to ready a long-term strategy on becoming competitive and qualitative.
"The plantation stakeholders must decide on how to make the sector competitive on its own because any government assistance will only be a temporary measure like the oxygen support to a patient in the ICU," Jaitely quipped.
Referring to the visit of a Pakistani delegation to the Upasi meet, Jaitley said though trade bodies in both the countries have established contacts again, free trade agreement with Pakistan was not on the anvil as talks between the two governments were yet to resume.
© 2025 Rediff.com -