The long overdue tea infilling and replanting program will kick off with nurseries to be laid this year to commence replanting next year aimed at increasing crop yield, a top official of the Sri Lanka Tea Board (SLTB) said.SLTB Chairman Lucille Wijewardena said tea infilling and replanting has to be done in about 1,000 hectares or between two to three percent of the total crop.
It is only around one percent of the total crop that has been replanted.
&Tea replanting is done once is 30 to 40 years.
The absence of replanting will result in reduction in crop, drop in quality of leaf and difficulties in plucking.
Coast leaves reduces the quality of made teas,& Wijewardena said.