Sugar Cane Gave Way to Tea

Between tea and sugar, small farmers have made their choice. Many of them have abandoned the land they cultivated sugar cane and vegetables to turn to tea culture that is becoming increasingly important over the years.

The area under tea cultivation has increased from 651 hectares in 2011 to 669 hectares in 2012 and 673 hectares in 2013. A tea producer understand that this plant yields more. " This is why the farmers abandon the sugar cane in areas where live tea and cane , "he says.

Indeed the tea would yield twice as cane. An acre under cultivation sugarcane reports about Rs 34,000 growers, once a year. While an acre of tea plants back Rs 70,000 growers and tea leaves, they can be harvested several times throughout the year. This is what reveals a source of National Agricultural Products Regulatory Agency. Moreover, cane growers are paid tonnage of sugar while the tea is paid on green leaves harvested.

Kreepalloo Sunghoon, president of the Small Planters Association, explains that despite this, many farmers are still reluctant to start. " The cane is easy to plant, you put in the ground with fertilizer and collect you when it's ready. For tea is different, it takes attention , "he says. Grow this plant requires a lot of time and effort, which discourages small farmers who normally perform the planting of sugar cane part-time.

However, in the region Dubreuil where the cane grows  difficult, growers have abandoned tea and continue to plant cane despite successive failures.