Staff Reporter
Guwahati: In a recent meeting of the District Green Leaf Price Monitoring Committee of the Jorhat district, a minimum price of Rs 25 per kg of green leaf was fixed, but most of the buyers, including the bought leaf factories (BLFs), refused to pay small tea growers (STGs) the price fixed by the panel. In light of this, the District Commissioner of Jorhat district has now written to several tea associations expressing his displeasure and ordered them to comply with the committee’s decisions.
The District Green Leaf Price Monitoring Committee of the Jorhat district held a meeting on July 31, chaired by the district commissioner (DC) of Jorhat, where it was decided that the minimum price of quality green tea leaf should not be lower than Rs.25 for small growers in the Jorhat district. Earlier, the small tea growers had apprised the DC of the sudden fall in green leaf price.
In his latest letter to the tea associations, the Jorhat DC wrote, “You are aware that a meeting of the District Green Leaf Price Monitoring Committee (DGLPMC) was held on July 31, 2025, and in that meeting the Assistant Director of Tea Development, Tea Board, briefed everyone present in the meeting regarding the minimum benchmark price (MBP) of the green leaf for the month of June 2025. Based on that, depending on the quality of the green leaf, a minimum rate of Rs.25 was fixed for the current scenario so that the interest of the STGs is served, and it was also decided that both factory owners and STGs will make a combined effort to improve the quality of green leaf for the greater interest of all; however, the minimum price fixed has to be ensured in all the cases.”
“But in spite of doing that, for the last few days, it has been reported that the rate offered by the bought leaf factories is far below the rate as decided and fixed in the last DGLPMC meeting, which is discouraging to all. Further, it is reported that there is no professional or expert person/employee who has been engaged by the factories to measure the quality of the supplied green leaf in all the factories,” the letter continued.
Further, the letter said, “In view of the above, you are hereby requested to look into the following points: (i) Ensuring engagement of qualified professionals who can measure the quality of green leaf as per Tea Board norms under Tea Act 1953; and (ii) Ensuring strict compliance of the decisions recorded in the minutes of the meeting held on July 31, 2025, and also ensuring due sensitisation of the STGs for necessary quality of the tea leaves.”
A copy of the letter was also forwarded to the Assistant Director of Tea Development, Tea Board, asking him/her to make a field visit to the factories that are not complying with the decision of the minutes and accordingly take action as per Tea Act, 1953, along with submission of a report to the Jorhat DC in the next two days from the date of the letter, issued on August 19.
It should be mentioned here that the Jorhat District Committee of the All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association had sent an SOS to Dispur, seeking intervention in the matter. The price of green leaf suffered from a sudden fall in the middle of July. BLFs were paying only between Rs 18 and Rs 22 per kg, depending on quality.
Also Read: Assam: Jorhat administration instructs green leaf price should be lower than Rs 22 per kg
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