Infrastructure for tea smallholders to be developed

Thursday, 2 February 2017 00:25 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The Government yesterday approved a proposal to improve the infrastructure available for tea smallholders, including the rehabilitation of roads and a greenhouse pilot project to encourage crop diversification.

Under the proposal made by Plantation industries Minister Navin Dissanayake, 200 rural access roads in the Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Matale districts will be rehabilitated, benefiting close to more than 17% of the tea smallholders concentrated in the upcountry region.

The project is aimed at the rehabilitation of rural roads and the implementation of livelihood development projects in order to stabilise income with the aim of addressing some of the social and economic issues faced by tea smallholders.

The proposal also includes the implementation of a greenhouse pilot project to enable the smallholders to gain additional income through the cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flowers.