Jhapa tea factories shut indefinitely

JHAPA, Aug 6: Citing growing insecurity from local farmers tea producers in Jhapa have closed factories and stopped procuring tea indefinitely from Thursday. Two orthodox tea producers in the district have also demanded security from local administration.



“We are feeling insecure as farmers have started picketing at out factories and are also threatening our family members. We can´t continue operation of factories in this insecure condition,” Dhruba Kumar Shivakoti, president of Nepal Tea Producers´ Association. [break]



This is the second time in less than two weeks that tea producers have closed their business. They had shuttered their factories for six days in the third week of July citing the same reason. However, both the sides had agreed to resume operation by reviewing existing price of tea leaves.



But the problem resurfaced after a group of farmers announced that the new price of tea leaves was unacceptable for them.



Tea farmers in the district produce around 700,000 kg of tea leaves per day. Tea farming is done in around 9,000 hectares. Farmers will have to face a great loss if tea factories continued with the stance of not buying tea leaves in this peak harvesting season.



The decision has directly affected over 1,200 farmers, more than two dozen factories and about 5,000 workers.



Closure of factories mean hundreds of thousands kilograms of tea leaves will come of no use as they have to be sold within seven days of harvest. Similarly, harvest of new buds has also become uncertain.



Tea farmers are picketing at Himali Tea Processing Factory at Garamani for the last three days, demanding fair price for their products. Tea producers also alleged that some small farmers have also been picketing at the residence of some tea producers to press for the fulfillment of their demands.



However, Purna Karki, president of Small Tea Farmers´ Association, denied the allegation and demanded the producers to fix the price as per the earlier understanding reached between the two sides.



A facilitator committee formed to forge understanding between the two sides has suggested the factories to provide price of green leaves on par with the price fixed in India.



Yadav Prasad Koirala, Chief District Officer of Jhapa, said the issue is lingering as both the farmers and owners are not flexible on their stances.

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