The Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna

¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answers are as follows:

¶ 02 (a) (i) Under payments by the Sri Lanka Tea Board and the Smallholder Tea Development Authority (STDA), the targets and achievements (hectares) for tea replanting for each year 2014–2018 are as follows:

¶ 03 - Smallholder Tea Development Authority (holdings under 10 acres) Year / Target (ha) / Progress (ha) / Progress (%) 2014: 1,125 / 720 / 64 2015: 1,200 / 806 / 67 2016: 1,000 / 733 / 73 2017: 1,040 / 748 / 72 2018: 1,060 / 1,027 / 97

¶ 04 - Sri Lanka Tea Board (medium/regional companies; 10–50 acres and estates) Target and completed areas provided in departmental schedules (figures include: targeted 222.00 ha; completed components 44.85, 139.5, 184.35 ha as per categories).

¶ 05 (ii) Yes, payments have been made. For tea replanting, per hectare, the Sri Lanka Tea Board pays Rs. 500,000 and the STDA pays Rs. 630,000. Payments are made in five instalments, not three.

¶ 06 Sri Lanka Tea Board payment structure (per hectare): - 1st instalment: Uprooting old stand and land preparation – Rs. 130,000 - 2nd instalment: Soil rehabilitation – after 6 months – Rs. 150,000 - 3rd instalment: Soil rehabilitation – after 18 months – Rs. 200,000 - 4th instalment: Upon completion of planting – Rs. 20,000 - 5th instalment: After one year of planting for maintenance – Rs. 50,000 Total: Rs. 500,000

¶ 07 STDA payment structure (per hectare): - 1st: Land preparation – Rs. 180,000 - 2nd: Soil enrichment – Stage I – Rs. 50,000 - 3rd: Soil enrichment – Stage II – Rs. 200,000 - 4th: Upon completion of planting – Rs. 140,000 - 5th: After one year of planting – Rs. 60,000 Total: Rs. 630,000

¶ 08 (b) Not applicable.