United Planters Association of South India (UPASI) vice president IJJ Rebello said the restrictions on the quantity of imported plantation items would be removed in 2001. Consequently, there would not be any hurdle for importing plantation crops like coffee, tea, rubber, cardamom and pepper".

Mr Rebello said most of the estates especially in Kerala were not in a position to pay bonus and for the first time in recent years all the three major plantation crops - coffee, tea and rubber were not not doing well.

Same was the case with the estates in Tamil Nadu, said UPASI president EK Joseph.

UPASE urged the centre to provide a level field for the industry, by increasing the import duty on the plantation crops. Already the prices of plantation crops were down in the country and flooding of the market with imported crops would further add up to the agony of the Indian industry and ultimately ''we will be in serious trouble,'' he warned.

Nearly 98 per cent of the coffee growers came under the small growers category and they would be affected very badly.

Replying to queries, Mr Rebello said the sub committee of the Coffee Board had recommended various measures to the centre to ensure better promotion of coffee consumption on the domestic sector. "The government is yet to examine these measures submitted long ago".

Included in the list of measures are promotion of coffee cultivation in non traditional North India and encouraging coffee drinking in the armed forces.

The implementation of these measures involved an investment of Rs 30 crores spread over five years.

Even this amount would be recovered from the cess imposed on coffee and there was no no need for the government to make any fresh investment, he explained.

For over two decades the domestic coffee consumption stood at 55,000 tons and it was declining year after year despite increase in population. The total estimated coffee production was 2,92,000 tons for coffee season 1999-2000 and Karnataka alone had contributed 2,09,100 tonnes.

Similarly, India produced 850 million kg of tea, of which domestic consumption was 650 million kg, he added. u