Solidaridad Asia organizes India International Small Tea Growers' meet
A conference with more than 150 participants from across India and several other countries was held in Kolkata to discuss and address these challenges.
KOLKATA: Tea is the most consumed beverage in the world and employs millions of smallholder farmers. The small tea growers, in particular, face numerous economic, climatic, and other difficulties. A conference with more than 150 participants from across India and several other countries, including Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, China, Indonesia, and Nepal, was held in Kolkata to discuss and address these challenges.
The inaugural session of the day-long convention was graced by Moloy Ghatak, Minister, Labour, Law & Judicial Departments, Government of West Bengal as the chief guest, and Saurav Pahari, Chairman, Tea Board India as Guest of Honour.
Among the other prominent attendees were Dr Shatadru Chattopadhayay, Managing Director, Solidaridad Asia, Nayantara Palchoudhuri, Chairperson, Indian Tea Association (ITA) & TRINITEA Programme Committee, Atul Asthana, Vice Chairperson, ITA, Hemant Bangur, Additional Vice Chairperson, ITA, Arijit Raha, Secretary General, ITA, Henry Heyneardhi, Partnership Director, Indonesian Tea Marketing Association, Senaka Alawattegama, Chairperson, Planters' Association of Ceylon (Sri Lanka), M Shah Alam, Chairperson, Bangladesh Tea Association, Suresh Mittal, Chairperson, Nepal Tea Producers' Association, and Bijoy Gopal Chakraborty, President, Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA), among others. Several small tea grower representatives from Assam, WB and South India viz. All Assam Small Tea Growers' Association, All Bodoland Small Tea Growers' Association and Jalpaiguri Dist Small Tea Growers Association and Small Tea Growers Association of South India also attended the convention.
Through interactive sessions, the participants discussed the role of smallholder farmers in the tea industry and ways to promote their health and well-being and make their businesses environmentally sustainable.
In his inaugural speech, Minister Moloy Ghatak said: ''We have gathered here to talk about the challenges small tea growers face and to look for solutions to the sustainability problems hurting the tea industry. The tea industry has to struggle with several issues.'' This is stated in a press release.
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