Factors Affecting on Supply of Standard Tea Leaves (Case of Bought Leaf Factories in Ratnapura District)
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Date
2013
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Journal ISSN
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Publisher
Uva Wellassa University of Sri Lanka
Abstract
Among all stakeholders in Sri Lankan tea industry, tea smallholders and bought leaf factories
have been playing a significant role. Processing of bought leaf supplied by the smallholders,
which comes from diverse sources experience difficulties as the supply comprised of coarse
leaves and leaves with physical damages. The standard of leaf is the major determinants of leaf
quality practiced in bought leaf factories. This study was carried out to evaluate the efficiency of
existing services provided by brought leaf factory and to provide recommendation to develop
the current system. A survey using structured questionnaire was carried out to collect the data
from random sample of 150 tea smallholders who supply green leaf to the Sunhill Tea Factory
(Pvt) Ltd. The Multiple Linear Regression Model was used to find out the relationship between
quantity of standard green leaf supplied and the relevant explanatory variables. Descriptive
statistical analyze method was used to evaluate the efficiency of existing services available to
the smallholders. And recommendations were made according to the suggestions gathered
during the interview. Result revealed that the quantity of standard green leaf supplied was
significantly determined by the amount paid for ‘A’ category green leaf supplied, amount paid
for ‘B’ category green leaf supplied, adoption level of good management practices to maintain
standard of green leaf, adoption level of good cultural practices to produce good quality green
leaf, usage of family labour for the plucking and availability of advance facilities from the
factory have positive relationship at 5 % significant level and only distance from tea land to the
factory negatively related at 10 % significant level. And most of the existing available services
to the smallholders are operating at inefficient condition.
Description
Keywords
Agriculture, Export Agriculture, Crop Production, Tea Industrials, Tea Technology