Guwahati: The Directorate of Horticulture, Meghalaya, hosted a fruitful brainstorming session on Friday, focused on “Enhancing Market Access & Quality Production for Small Tea Growers in Meghalaya.”
The event, held at the Integrated Agricultural Training Centre in Upper Shillong, witnessed the convergence of experts and dignitaries dedicated to fortifying the tea industry in the region.
Among the esteemed attendees were D.C. Sohtun, M.A.S, Director of Horticulture; Mary Q. Ch. Marak, Assistant Director of Horticulture (PS&C); Marbakynsai Marbaniang, M.A.S., Assistant Director of Agriculture, I/C Tea Development Centre, Umsning; M. L. Suiam, M.A.S., OSD, Directorate of Food Processing; and Ramen Lal Baishya, Assistant Director of the Tea Board of India.
The session was also attended by John Taylor, Marketing Manager HTPC, Nepal; Sourav Bhagawati from Tea Tech, Guwahati, Assam; and Parveez Arshad Hussain, Tea Sommelier from Darjeeling. Their insights spanned topics including identifying opportunities and challenges, international marketing strategies, micro and mini tea machinery, and specialty tea manufacturing, demonstrating a unified effort towards industry advancement.
In her address, D. C. Sohtun, M.A.S, highlighted the pivotal role of enhancing market access and quality production for small tea growers in Meghalaya to foster state-wide prosperity. She emphasised Meghalaya’s distinct advantage of predominantly organic tea cultivation, accentuating its allure in the market.
Sohtun highlighted the multifaceted benefits of tea cultivation, ranging from employment opportunities to environmental conservation and economic growth. However, she acknowledged persistent challenges such as high investment costs and low labor productivity that require concerted efforts for resolution.
M. L. Suiam, M.A.S., OSD, Directorate of Food Processing, reflected on Meghalaya’s commendable growth trajectory over the past decades, particularly in promoting low-volume, high-value products. While acknowledging the strides made, he acknowledged the existing hurdles in market access and quality production, emphasising the need for collective action to overcome these obstacles. Despite challenges, he noted the emergence of several homegrown brands gaining recognition both domestically and internationally.
Marbakynsai Marbaniang, M.A.S., ADA I/C Tea Development Centre, Umsning, provided a comprehensive analysis of the challenges confronting small tea growers in Meghalaya, setting the stage for focused deliberations and actionable outcomes.
Meghalaya, with a tea cultivation area of 2768 hectares (2021), boasts a burgeoning tea industry, with the inaugural tea factory established in 1997. Presently, the state is home to approximately 12 tea factories, producing predominantly CTC (Crush, Tear, Curl) tea, with a burgeoning specialty tea segment.
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John Taylor expressed optimism regarding Meghalaya’s potential for tea exports to international markets and advocated for initiatives to attract foreign buyers, underscoring the need for concerted efforts to leverage global opportunities.
The brainstorming session concluded with a commitment to collaborative action, leveraging insights gleaned to propel the tea industry in Meghalaya towards sustainable growth and global recognition.
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