12 March 2010: Tea plantations in the private sector in Chin state are more productive than those run by the Burmese government.

“We take care of our tea plantations over three years from the nursery stage. We have to protect the plants from direct drew drops and being hindered by bushes, but the government does not take care of its plantations after planting, so the yield suffers,” said an owner of a tea plantation in Hakha.

He has 10 acres of tea plantations in Hakha, Chin state and looks after it systematically.

“I’ve studied about tea plantations carefully. I have been cultivating for five years now. I take the leaves every year to the selling center of the government in Hakha. I can earn Kyat 10 to 15 lakhs per year depending on the quality of tea plants,” he added.

The government has more than 10,000 acres of tea plantations in Chin state run with the help of local people.  But the employees do not look after the plants; they use the money allocated for the tea project for their own benefit. There is no effort to make the plantations productive.

About 10 tea plantation owners in Hakha are doing well.

Similarly, the jethropha plantation of the government is not productive. The local people have no idea about jethropha as to how to process the fruits.

The local people are being forced to work for all government project like tea and Jethropha plantations. –