Press briefing of Cabinet Decision taken on 2017-01-31

Implementation of Special Project Proposals for Tea Smallholders in the Up-country region

- In Sri Lanka, 73% of the total extent of tea lands belong to the Tea Smallholders out of which 17% of the entire Tea Smallholdings are scattered around the up country. When solutions have to be provided for the social and economic issues faced by the Tea Smallholders of the up country, it is really important to carry out the rehabilitation of rural access roads to facilitate the transport of tea leaves and the implementation of the livelihood development projects connected with tea planting, for the maintenance of a steady flow of income. Accordingly, the proposal made by Hon. Navin Dissanayake, the Minister of Plantation Industries, to rehabilitate 200 rural access roads situated within the small tea holdings of the Nuwara Eliya, Kandy and Matale Districts and to implement small greenhouse pilot projects in association with the estates for the cultivation of vegetables, fruits and flower varieties to enable to obtain an additional income and also to implement a small infrastructure development project, was approved by the Cabinet.