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Jhapa tea factories shut after row with farmers
BIRTAMOD, AUG 05 -
More than a dozen tea processing factories in Jhapa have closed down following a dispute over prices with small tea farmers.
The Association of Tea Producers declared an indefinite closure of the factories last Wednesday after the farmers started scheduled protests charging breach of an accord signed with the entrepreneurs on July 13.
The farmers said that the price of tea leaves would be increased according to the agreement.
Dhruba Kumar Siwakoti, president of the association, said a number of entrepreneurs including Chandi Parajuli, Viswanath Shrestha, Santa Ratna Shakya and Dhruba Kumar Siwakoti had fled their homes after the farmers tried to lock them in.
Chief district officer Lekh Nath Pokhrel said they had already written to the Nepal Police to provide security to the entrepreneurs. Siwakoti said the farmers had been demanding a higher rate than stated in the agreement of July 13. He added that the entrepreneurs had made all the payments of the farmers refuting their claims that money was still owed to them.
However, Purna Kumar Karki, president of the association of small farmers, said they had not received payment for the last five months. He accused the entrepreneurs of reneging on the agreement with the aid of the District Administration Office and representatives of political parties. He said that they would not withdraw their protest until the entrepreneurs increased the price of their tea leaves.
Meanwhile, the All Nepal Farmers Association 2007, a sister organisation of the UCPN (Maoist), expressed solidarity with the protest. President of the association Tara Subedi said that they would support the farmers until the entrepreneurs fulfilled their demands.
Posted on: 2010-08-06 08:30
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