As an esteemed and leading partner in the modern business community, G&G group deepening its roots towards a variety of industries capitalizing strategic goals for long-term socio-economic mutuality. Being one of the leading suppliers of Power, Tea and Agricultural commodities, G&G group forays the trading of agricultural commodities across the range of products from Soybean, Wheat, Barley, Copra and many other products. The G & G Group which always strives for excellence, has a team of highly experienced and qualified professionals to manage its businesses and investments across the business contours. The conglomerate is also heavily invested in the Renewable Energy, Tea Plantation, Food Processing, Agro commodity business across Asia.
Demerged from the Watawala Plantations PLC and coming under the wings and becoming a part of the G&G group in 2017, with a strong focus on innovation and value addition Hatton Plantations consolidated its position as one of the largest tea producing plantation companies in Sri Lanka. Over the years, Hatton Plantations continues to build upon the established and proud reputation of being a prime producer of pure Ceylon tea and continues to set new standards in ensuring the people around the globe to enjoy a quality cup of tea.
Sri Lanka is an island nation with a rich biodiversity located in the Indian Ocean. The country’s economy is highly based on textiles, tourism, tea exports, rice, and other agricultural products. Sri Lankan tea production is well known around the world as “Ceylon Tea”. According to the statistics of the Sri Lanka Exports Development Board, tea exports account for about 11% of the total exports, and about 62% contribute to the total agriculture exports in the country.When concerning the tea industry in Sri Lanka, government and private plantations are the key components of gaining this huge amount of foreign income to the country. In the complex process of manufacturing tea, plantation employees play a vital role to have a production of best quality under the guidance and supervision of the management.
Tea harvesters in Sri Lanka can be defined as one of the main contributors to a better output in the tea industry. ‘Tea plucking’ is a skill that women have assimilated, picking tender tea shoots with their nimble fingers.
As one of the pioneer Ceylon tea producers in Sri Lanka’s G&G groups, Hatton Plantation PLC recently declared a new chapter of utilizing female cadre other than as the tea pickers in the Sri Lankan tea plantation history. The company introduced female harvesting team leaders for 14 tea estates of Hatton Plantations located in the Central Highlands as an innovative strategy.”Kankani” are the personnel who are in charge of supervising female tea pickers and in the long-standing history of the tea industry this was designated to male cadre. With introducing of the new strategy, these new female harvesting team leaders are streamlined as supervisors of female tea pickers by the Hatton Plantation PLC, recognizing the need for psychosocial factors in the long run towards a better industry.
The specialty of this programme is that, these harvesting team leaders have been selected from the same community of estate harvesters considering their educational qualifications, personalities, communication skills, and also subsequent to a proper interview procedure. Most of them are from the families of tea harvesters who had been retired after rendering a valuable contribution to the national economy of Sri Lanka.The aim of this new strategy is to have a close communication whilst ensuring the mental stability of women and as a motivational drive to go through any condition by avoiding negative feelings like insecurity, helplessness, and having no voice for them.
After primary selections from interviews, these young female individuals had to go through a 3-week-long training programme that included modules on tea harvesting and plowing, techniques and skills, and cost-effectiveness.
Further, they will learn agricultural practices to understand the challenges and opportunities related to the tea industry.
They were specially trained on the role of supervisor, to ensure their work’s competency, efficiency and effectiveness. Similarly, prior to getting in the field, they will sharpen more by undergoing the leadership module, the effective communication module, resolving conflicts under the four steps of communication, active listening, reviewing opinions which ends with win-win solutions.
Finally, by managing the performance goals of the team members, leading and working together with the team, leading and managing unforeseen situations and also safety and security, will make them competent in carrying out their duties in an organized manner.
Hatton Plantations PLC recently conducted two training programmes for female harvesting team leaders (1st programme for 8 personnel and 2nd programme for 12 personnel). The Human Resources Management Department of the Company streamlined the process under the direction of the Chairman, Hatton Plantation PLC, Mr. Gary Seaton, the executive director and other directors of the company.
The certificates awarding ceremony for the 12 female plucking supervisors was held at the headquarters of Hatton Plantation PLC on August 31, 2023. Mr. Menaka Athukorala, Executive Director, Hatton Plantations PLC, Mr. K. Gowri Shankar, Group Director, Corporate Strategies & Investments, G&G Group of Companies, Singapore, and a few senior head office staff members attended the ceremony.
Mr. Gowri Shankar, Group Director, Corporate Strategies & Investments, G&G Group of Companies, Singapore, expressed his comments during the day’s ceremony after awarding certificates & offer letter to graduates saying “I am highly impressed with this new strategy, which can provide suitable employment & sustainable opportunities to the families of our existing workers. We want them to excel and climb up the ranks within the organisation. It was their ancestors who took care of the estates, and we believe the legacy & tradition should continue but with modern methods and means, that’s guided by deep commitment towards sustainability . I am confident they will succeed and bring more efficiency and innovation to the industry as they are well-educated and trained”.
Mr. Menaka Athukorala, Executive Director of Hatton Plantations PLC, said, “This will motivate and enhance female tea pluckers, their communities, and those who employed as new young harvesting team leaders to climb the ladder with career prospects to be experts in the sector, foundation we laid today”, he added.
Mrs. Thamilini Shramiladevi, one of the newly appointed harvesting team leaders, expressed her gratitude towards the G&G groups, Hatton Plantations, and all the officials for empowering and giving them a platform to excel. “We are ready to take any challenge and confident to carry out the responsibilities entrusted to us.” With this new chapter, we can enhance sociocultural enrichments by filling communication gaps.
Similarly, each 14 estates of G&G groups hatton plantation are conducting series of charity events for the betterment of community of estate sector. Specially, nutrition programmes for pregnant and mothers with infants, educational assistance for schooling kids,medical camps, housing projects, infrastructure development, fulfilment facilities for sanitary needs are glimpse .
Every industry needs new strategies & innovation aligned with best practices. Such allocations have a huge value in the short and long run. In today’s context such innovative strategies will empower women and give them equal opportunity to remove the gender inequality.