A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: An interactive interface with Small Tea Growers was held at Taj Bengal, Kolkata today. The event aimed to bring together stakeholders from the organized tea sector and small tea growers from both North & South India, to discuss challenges, opportunities, and sustainable growth strategies.
In the interface, the organized big tea growers were represented by CK Dhanuka, Chairman & MD, Dhunseri Tea & Industries Ltd., Hemant Bangur, Chairman, ITA/CCPA, Sandeep Singhania, President, TAI, Arijit Raha, Secretary General, ITA, PK Bhattacharjee, Secretary General, TAI, and other representatives of ITA & TAI Secretariat. Rajib Guhain, Tea Board member, was also present.
The Small Tea Growers were represented by K Saikia of the All Assam Small Tea Growers Association (AASTGA), Rabi Ram Boro & Tarun Machachary of the All Bodoland Small Tea Growers Association (ABSTGA), Diganta Phukan of North East Confederation of Small Tea Growers Associations (NECSTGA), Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty of Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Associations, Rajat Ray Karjee of Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers Association(JDSTA), Shaji Chdiviyal of Federation of Small Tea Growers Association (FESTA), Tamil Nadu, Sathish Bellan, Hill District Small Farmer Welfare Association (HDSFWA), and Sreejith of AK Wayanad Green Tea Producer Company.
“During the meeting, apart from the persistent challenges of climate change & presence of intermediaries, the key challenges as faced by the Small Tea Growers were deliberated covering the following: Lack of bargaining power with the Small Tea Growers, given the perishable nature of green leaf, existing price distortion as the present price sharing formula (PSF) for determining Minimum Benchmark Price (MBP) for Green Leaf is not compensating the cost of production,” an Indian Tea Association(ITA) press statement said.
It further added, “The representatives of Small Tea Growers’ Associations across North & South India univocally stated that the current PSF is not compensating the cost of production and the need for a fair and transparent pricing mechanism that takes into account the cost of production and allows for a reasonable margin is the urgent need of the hour.”
“After protracted discussion, the meeting today unanimously resolved that to ensure the sustainability of the Indian tea industry, a minimum sustainable price of made tea, indexed to cost of production and quality, needs to be introduced immediately. To monitor and give effect to the same, 100% auction of made teas should also be introduced. Members unanimously expressed views in favour of this,” ITA said.
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