As per the Tea Board, the weedicide should be used by only the tea gardens' existing skilled personnel. According to the recently announced norms by the government, the usage of glyphosate is restricted, and no one besides pest control operators (PCOs) can use it.
The Tea Board has urged the Commerce Ministry to take up the issue of exempting the tea industry from the glyphosate use norms announced by the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare.
Glyphosate has been used in tea plantations for over 40 years to control weeds through ground applications. Grower organizations such as the United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) have asked for an exemption from the new glyphosate use norms for tea plantations because it would increase costs.
Effects on cultivation:
In a letter to the Commerce Ministry, the Tea Board stated that limiting the use of glyphosate through PCOs will make timely weed management difficult. This will result in a significant loss of crop and will increase the economic burden on marginal and small-scale farmers who are already dealing with severe price hikes. According to sources, it will have an overall impact on tea cultivation, export, and international trade competitiveness.
Given that tea plantations cover approximately 6 lakh hectares of land and those small tea growers are mostly located in remote and hilly areas, the Board believes that the need for trained PCOs to serve the entire Indian tea industry may not be a viable option.
The board said that PCOs required to serve the entire Indian tea industry may not be a feasible option.
The unavailability of PCOs in a large number of remote locations will impact weed control leading to significant yield losses.
Adequate skill:
Pesticide handling personnel in tea gardens have been highly experienced and competent in using glyphosate for many years, adhering to the Plant Protection Code of Tea Board India.
It also suggested that pesticide managing personnel of tea plantations who are trained by scientific personnel of Tea Research Institutes on the safe handling of glyphosate under PCO standards be issued certificates recognized by the Tea Board. Tea plantations may be permitted to use the services of such trained people for glyphosate application.
States like Tamil Nadu and Uttarakhand have already begun to implement the new glyphosate sale and use regulations.
