Government has agreed to provide a one-off allowance to tea growers to support them with respect to losses incurred on plantations because of the lockdown period due the COVID-19 pandemic for the period March 2020 to June 2020. In this context, an official ceremony was organised this afternoon at the Nouvelle France Multipurpose Complex for the remittance of cheques to some 35 tea growers.
The Attorney General, Minister of Agro-Industry and Food Security, Mr Maneesh Gobin, the Minister of Financial Services and Good Governance, Mr Mahen Kumar Seeruttun, and other eminent personalities were present on this occasion.
He highlighted that the quantum payable stands at Rs 8,000 per arpent and that some 1,065 planters cultivating over 940 arpents will benefit from the scheme for an amount of about Rs 7.5 million. Apart from planters present for the official ceremony, the first payment is being affected today for about 400 planters in Nouvelle France and the vicinity, who will receive their cheques by post.
As for Minister Seeruttun, he underlined that the payment of the one-off allowance aims at supporting tea planters who suffered due to the lockdown last year. He expressed his belief that the tea sector can thrive, adding that there is a need to encourage more youth to join the sector.
Furthermore, he dwelt on the FAO report concerning the tea sector in Mauritius before reminding those necessary sanitary precautions must still be thoroughly observed to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus locally.
