Nepali Congress MP Raises Concerns Over Tea Farmers' Plight and Export Hurdles

Kathmandu. Nepali Congress MP Nishkal Rai has stated that while the citizens of Ilam are currently busy harvesting the first flush of tea, they are failing to receive fair compensation for their hard work.

In Wednesday's session of the House of Representatives, MP Rai noted that farmers are struggling to determine a minimum support price for tea based on production costs. He added that they are further burdened by the shortage of fertilizers. 

MP Rai mentioned that not only farmers but also tea entrepreneurs are facing difficulties. He pointed out that tea exports are overly dependent on India, which frequently creates unnecessary obstacles for tea shipments. 

MP Rai stated that the Tea and Coffee Development Board of the West Bengal government in India is causing problems for tea entrepreneurs by citing their domestic laws.

Asserting that this issue cannot be resolved by the individual efforts of farmers and entrepreneurs alone, MP Rai urged the government to take the matter seriously and seek a long-term solution through diplomatic initiatives.