Minfal enquires about NWFP forestlands for tea plantation

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock (Minfal) has asked the NWFP forest department to identify the available forestlands for tea plantation in the province. A tea development cell will be established in Minfal for the facilitation of tea production, which will be upgraded to tea development authority or tea development board later.
The APCom chairman will work out the economics of tea production and recommend incentives necessary for the support of existing tea growers, as was decided in a meeting on tea promotion in NWFP and AJK on August 29.
The meeting also constituted a committee for determining the suitability of identified lands under the chairmanship of ADC, Minfal comprising NWFP Chief Conservator of Forest, Director (NTRI), Shinkiari, Chief Planning (Agri) AJK, Gul Nawaz Khattak, NWFP, Zahid Khawaja, Haji Hanif Janoo, Dr Asrar M. Khan, Samin Ahmed of Unilever Pakistan, and tea growers of Swat.
Briefing the meeting, Samin Ahmed said the Unilever will not be involved in tea promotion activities if it produces tea over and above the target assigned to it by the Monopoly Control Authority (MCA).
On the complaints of the farmers, Samin said the company has decided to provide them free fertiliser for five years instead of three years. In addition, they will pay Rs 22 per kg for fresh tea leaves as incentive to the tea growers.
Zahid W. Khawaja, managing director, Khawaja Foods (Pvt) Limited informed the meeting that tea plantation on 199,300 acres will be needed to achieve self-sufficiency in tea production, but it could be achieved only through provision of suitable land on 99 years lease on soft terms and conditions.
He also underlined the need for establishing a development and regulatory body (Tea Development Board) to facilitate the private sector. NWFP Chief Conservator of Forest Muhammad Iqbal Sial informed the meeting that a large depleted Gozara Forest in Mansehra and protected forest in Swat could be made available for tea plantation as per demand of the tea investors.
The NWFP agriculture secretary said there is a need for carrying out survey of these lands to determine their suitability for tea plantation. While concluding the meeting, Minfal Additional Secretary Salim Iqbal Khan Jhagra assured the participants that the ministry would extend full co-operation and support to materialise the tea promotion on commercial scale with the help of the private sector.