Staff Reporter
GUWAHATI: For their survival, the small tea growers of the Northeast urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to impose some restrictions on imported teas, besides the relaxation on the Tea Board of India's time stipulation on the plucking of green leaves.
In the letter to the Prime Minister, the North East Confederation of Small Tea Growers Association (NCCTGA) said, "We humbly request the Government of India and your esteemed office, in particular, to take urgent measures to safeguard the 200-year-old tea industry and secure the livelihood of small tea growers in Northeast India."
The small tea growers said that the Tea Board of India directed them to stop tea harvesting from December 1, 2024, to bring equilibrium to the demand-supply mismatch. "However, now we have noticed that there has been a huge jump in the import of tea from Nepal, Kenya, and other African countries. According to the records we have, the import of tea from Kenya has jumped by 288 percent compared to last year. Likewise, the import of tea from Nepal has also jumped by 55.7 percent compared to last year. The earlier closure of tea production in North India is the reason behind this rise in the import of tea," the association mentioned in its letter to the Prime Minister.
The letter further said, "We cannot pluck the excellent quality leaves in our tea bushes in December because of the directive issued by the Tea Board of India. It is not that we only have suffered loss. It's a national loss."
The letter further said, "We've heard that the imported teas are often re-blended and re-exported as Indian teas, which has severely impacted the brand image value and demand of Indian teas, especially from Northeast India, on the global market."
The letter, signed by the president of the association, Diganta Phukan, and secretary general Binod Buragohain, said, "From October to December 2024, around 40 percent of teas remain unsold at auction centres in Guwahati, Kolkata, and Siliguri. During this period, tea prices fell by 25-40 percent. Moreover, the Tea Board's directive to mandate the sale of 100 percent dust grades exclusively through auction has adversely affected the sellers. Sellers should be allowed the freedom to sell their teas through either auction or private sales, ensuring better price realization for small tea growers."
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