Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure
In response to a parliamentary question, the Minister stated that although the tea industry has faced setbacks, 2024 production rose to 262 million kilograms, the highest in three years. He provided details of the IFAD-supported Smallholder Tea and Rubber Revitalization Project, including Rs. 8,703.71 million disbursed as a loan on blended terms repayable by 2040, its administrative officers, and tea replanting of 4,131.798 hectares across six districts. He said Rs. 325,765 was paid per acre for replanting, administrative expenditure was Rs. 538.618 million by April 2024, field operations ended in September 2023, the project closed in March 2024, and there were no outstanding payments to growers.
Verbatim record (translated)
Machine-translated from Sinhala / Tamil / English¶ 01 Hon. Speaker, the answers are as follows.
¶ 02 (a) (i) I observe some setback in the industry. However, in 2024, total tea production increased to 262 million kilograms, which is higher than in the past three years. (ii) International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) together with the Government of Sri Lanka. (iii) As at 19.04.2024, Rs. 8,703.71 million has been disbursed. (iv) It is a loan. (v) Interest at 1.25% per annum and a service charge of 0.75%. The loan has been provided on blended terms: a fixed annual rate of 1.25% plus a 0.75% service charge on the outstanding principal. (vi) In 2040.
¶ 03 (b) (i) As per Ministry records, officers engaged in administration of the Smallholder Tea and Rubber Revitalization (STaRR) Project as at 15.06.2023 are:
¶ 04 - Project Director: A.J.L.P. Amarasingha - Finance Manager: R.H.S.P. Ranasingha - Internal Auditor: Ravin Ovitigala - Project Accountant: W.G. Sagara - Institutional Development Coordinator: A. Hewage Kularathna - Capacity Building and Human Resource Coordinator: Shiromi Kumari Herath - ICT Officer - MIS: O.G.G. Priyangika - ICT Officer - GIS: G.A.M.D. Gunaratna - Community Development Officer: M.D.D. Nishantha - Business Development Officers: N.H.A.R. Swarnapali; K.M.M.D.P. Konara; D.B. Dharmakeerthi; S.S. Chithrasena; D.S. Pathmasiri; Ajanta Shantha Kumara - Institutional Development Officer: Suranga Senewirathna - Project Secretary: Rohini Perera
¶ 05 (ii) Extent re-cultivated with tea: 4,131.798 hectares, by district: - Galle: 1,122.85 ha - Matara: 1,177.28 ha - Ratnapura: 1,036.34 ha - Badulla: 334.88 ha - Kandy: 358.78 ha - Nuwara Eliya: 101.66 ha (Tea Inspector Division breakdown placed in the Library as Annex 01.)
¶ 06 (iii) Amount paid per acre for tea replanting under the Project: Rs. 325,765.00. Allocation for administrative expenses: Rs. 621.38 million (of which Rs. 538.618 million had been spent as at 19.04.2024).
¶ 07 (c) (i) Field operations ended on 30.09.2023 and the Project was fully closed on 31.03.2024. (ii) There are no outstanding payments to growers under the grant programme. Further details are in Annex 02. (iii) Yes. Submitted as Annex 03.
¶ 08 Annexes 01, 02 and 03 are placed in the Library.
¶ 09 (d) Not applicable.
Provenance
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- Hansard, Saturday, 22 February 2025 ·No. 1741001658041256 ·English daily/uncorrected Hansard
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Cite as: Hon. K.V. Samantha Viddyarathna - Minister of Plantation and Community Infrastructure. 10th Parliament, Parliament of Sri Lanka. Hansard, 22 February 2025. No. 1741001658041256. Politick, https://staging.politick.io/lk/speeches/24934