We listened to the grievances of the tea smallholders in the Ravanakanda area.
Accordingly, Mr. W. Kumarawansa, a smallholder tea estate owner, pointed out to us the fate that has befallen those tea estates so far.
He states that these tea trees have not received any fertilizer during the last one year and therefore the leaves of those tea estates have not grown to the required standard.
Previously a tea estate could harvest about 100 kilos of tea leaves but now it can produce only 25 kilos.
He further pointed out that at present the price of a bag of fertilizer used for this is around Rs. 6500 and they cannot afford such an expense.
