Ilam, April 21:

The factory of Ilam Tea Producers’ Private Ltd (ITPPL) that was producing orthodox tea at Shreeantu in Ilam district has been closed for the past three months.

The factory is closed because of dispute between factory management and tea farmers producing green tea leaves. The tea farmers are compelled to sell their green tea leaves at a very low price in the factories based in Jhapa district as the ITPPL has been closed since February 7.

The factory had launched a campaign of producing organic tea by coordinating with 52 different groups of green tea farmers since last year. The ITPPL had tested sample of soil in the assistance of Mulitplex company of India in the district in December 2007.

However, the factory was closed after Small Tea Farmers’ Coordination Committee (STFCC) put forth 26 points demands including fixing the price of green tea leaves at Rs 30 per kg. The tea farmers were selling green tea leaves at Rs 13 per kg. ITPPL management closed the factory citing that it could not fulfill the demands of the tea farmers.

“We are forced to close the factory as farmers warned of creating disturbance to our vehicles and threatened to cut the supply of drinking water and electricity in the factory,” an official of the factory said.

As the price of tea has been decreasing in the international markets, the factory has no option but to close it rather than fulfilling the tea farmers’ demands, the factory administration said.

The factory was processing 15,000 kg of tea everyday before its closure.

The closure of the factory has forced some 700 tea farmers of Samalbung and Shreeantu villages of Ilam district to sell green tea leaves to different factories in Jhapa.

“The factory is trying to deceive us,” Khagaraj Ghimire, a member of STFCC, said adding that they would not let the factory operate until the tea farmers demands are met.