Small tea growers, who produce more than 50 per cent of tea in the country, are getting a big push by the centre to move up the value chain and make it more competitive in the market. The Centre has increased financial assistance under the ‘Tea Development & Promotion Scheme’ by 82% from Rs. 290.81 crores to Rs.528.97 crore for 2024-25 and 2025-26. This was announced by Industry and Commerce Minister Piyush Goyal yesterday.
A range of incentives will be provided to small tea growers by mobilizing them into Self Help Groups( SHGs) and Farmers Producer Organisation( FPO). Setting up of 800 SHGs and 330 FPOs has been envisaged in the next 2 financial years with increased assistance of Rs 105.5 Cr compared to 40 SHGs and 8 FPOs previously planned with an assistance of Rs 2.7 Cr. This will increase coverage of small tea growers from 1000 to more than 30,000 in the next two years. The assistance is aimed at increasing their productivity and quality, greater value addition and thereby greater price realization.
The FAO Intergovernmental Group of Tea says smallholders have a prominent place in the tea sector and globally, they constitute 70% in area and 60% in production. “Their vitality and integral role within the tea supply chain cannot be overstated and solving the issues facing this sector is essential for the long-term viability and health of the tea industry, not to mention the farmers and their communities themselves” it says.
Both the Government of India and the Assam government have significantly invested in the development of the small tea growers sector and a dedicated R&D centre was coming up at Tocklai.
“The focus clearly is on Small Tea Growers. The creation of FPO will be the drive to make the sector like Amul,” a tea industry official said.
“There has been a significant increase in outlay has been made to promote Indian Tea in both domestic and international markets. The outlays have been increased by more than 10 times to Rs.72.42 crore to carry out extensive promotion campaigns for ‘Indian Tea’, including Darjeeling and other GI Teas, in international markets (to increase exports) and generic tea promotion campaigns in domestic markets (to increase awareness on, and promotion of consumption of, safe and quality tea among consumers),” says Bidyanand Barkakoty adviser North Eastern Tea Association.
The assistance/ support is for the common facilities like field mechanization equipment, leaf carriage vehicles, leaf sheds, pruning machines, mechanical harvesters and storage godowns.
Welcoming the focus on small tea growers, Bijoy Gopal Chakravorty, President, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations, said small tea growers should benefit from farmers’ welfare schemes like Fasal Bima Yojana and others. “The three lakh small tea growers of the country are not getting the benefit of welfare schemes of the farmers,” he said.
Assistance/support to the small tea growers is also for setting up of new mini tea units by SHG/FPO/FPCs for production of Orthodox, Green and Specialty teas to help small tea growers move up the value chain. The assistance/support is for soil testing for individual small growers mobilised through SHGs/FPOs and Capacity Building including through Farm Field schools for better extension services and upgradation of the skills of small tea growers on good agricultural practices/ tea garden management.
A significant increase in outlay has been made to promote Indian Tea in both domestic and international markets. The outlays have been increased by more than 10 times to Rs.72.42 crore to carry out extensive promotion campaigns for ‘Indian Tea’, including Darjeeling and other GI Teas, in international markets (to increase exports) and generic tea promotion campaigns in domestic markets (to increase awareness on, and promotion of consumption of, safe and quality tea among consumers).
To help increase exports of value-added tea from India, a new sub-component for encouraging the setting up of blending and packaging units has been included with an outlay of Rs 40 Crore.
Another tea industry official said the new sub-component for research on blends and value-added products in international markets will enhance and diversify exports. “This could be a differentiation for new tea products,” the official said.
A new separate sub-component of Quality Assurance has been included in the scheme with an outlay of Rs 39.9 Crore. Out of this Rs 20 Crore has been provided for setting up / upgradation of Tea testing laboratories. In addition, increased drawing and testing of Tea samples is planned. Awareness campaigns are also planned to be carried out to enhance consumer awareness of the quality of tea sold in domestic markets.
A new component of Technological Intervention for tea Plantation has been included for carrying out activities such as Precision farming, Drone Surveillance, traceability & blockchain etc. This will also cover the digitisation of the Tea Board.
Fresh financial support shall be provided for uprooting old (> 50 years) and unproductive tea bushes and carrying out replantation in about 1000 Ha of the area and linked to an incremental increase in production of higher quality tea including orthodox tea assessed through a transparent methodology.
Also Read: Manipur shocker: Army officer kidnapped, search op launched