India moves to rejuvenate tea plantations
Tea Association of India and the Union Minister of State for Commerce have joined in an initiative to create a Special Purpose Tea Fund aimed at reviving Indias ailing tea plantations. This comes as a response to an estimated 38% of the countrys tea area relying on old aged tea bushes, which negatively affects tea output and quality. Large scale up-rooting and rejuvenation projects are planned to counter the trend, supported by bank loans at concessional rates and other subsidies.