Tea estate turns over new leaf with midday meals
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COMMENTS 
A state government-run tea estate in Wayanad registers record production by introducing free midday meal for its workers. It has incorporated a tourism component to find the resources to feed its 316 tribal workers, most of them women
Priyadarsini Tea Estate, spread over 955 acres at Mananthavady, in Kerala’s Wayanad district, was originally conceived as a rehabilitation project for tribals freed from bonded labour in 1984. Although the estate -- where plantation is confined to 300 acres -- witnessed smooth growth for a decade, a crisis in the industry ended in a lock-out in 2005. In 2005-06, green tea leaf production hit an all-time low of 2 lakh kg. Three starvation deaths were reported from the estate during this period.
“After reviving the estate in 2007, production was growing slowly. But the workers’ output and health was a matter of serious concern. There were many incidents of women workers collapsing while engaged in plucking tea leaf. Even at the end of a day’s chore, they could pluck less than 20 kg per day. Besides, many of them were chronically ill, affecting production,” said N Prasanth, the estate’s managing director and Mananthavady sub-collector.
To get to the bottom of the low productivity, the estate held several rounds of health camps for the workers. It was identified that the workers were suffering from anaemia. A midday meal and refreshments at noon were immediate measures taken to tackle anaemia. The free meals began in March 2010. To increase protein intake, pulses was served along with cooked rice. Once a week, workers got a boiled egg with their morning refreshments.
If green tea leaf production in 2009-10 was 10 lakh kg, after the introduction of free meals in March, production soared. Until September this fiscal, leaf production touched 14 lakh kg. “Production has increased from the existing plantation. We have not added a single acre of new plantation or new workers to enhance the figures. The meal at noon has worked as an incentive for the women to turn up for work,” said estate secretary Babu Rajendran.
The cooking habits of Wayanad tribes necessitated such an intervention. Tribal men who go out for work prefer eating at local eateries. And, as schools have food for students, the women leave for work without preparing anything at home. If food is not available at the workplace, they chew tobacco and betel leaf to suppress their hunger.
A report on the comprehensive development of tribal communities in Wayanad, prepared by the Centre for Research and Education for Social Transformation, identified that a majority of tribal people in the district were below the age of 40. There was a remarkable decrease in population as age increases, which is in stark contrast to the higher life expectancy for both men and women in Kerala. The study revealed a high incidence of morbidity among tribals and their heavy dependence on medicine due to poor health.
Two weeks ago, a visiting UN health expert examined the workers. “The expert suggested plain lime juice for the workers to meet the Vitamin C deficiency. To improve the quality of life at the estate’s colonies and to prevent waterborne diseases, water filters will be erected at selected clusters,” said the sub-collector.
As a result of the meal scheme, workers’ medical bills have come down. “In 2008-09, the estate spent Rs 1.35 lakh towards the treatment of workers. In 2009-10, the amount was Rs 1.13 lakh. This year, until September 30, the management paid Rs 22,000 towards medical bills,” said Rajendran.
Sarala, a worker at the estate, said she earns Rs 210 per day, which is much above the average wage for a woman labourer in Kerala. “After the meals at noon, I am healthy enough to pluck 40 to 50 kg a day. Before the food scheme, I could pluck only 10 kg a day,” said Sarala, who has been living here since 1987.
To meet the meal expenses, the management has turned to tourism. An unused bungalow was turned into a guesthouse, called Wayanad Tea County. “By renting it out, we are able to generate enough money for the scheme. This is the only tourism venture where income is deployed to address hunger,” said Prasanth.
Source: The Indian Express, October 19, 2010