Barkakoty to be chairman of Tea panel

FROM A CORRESPONDENT
GOLAGHAT, June 3: The Tea Board in its Board Meeting held on May 30 at Coonoor, Tamil du, has reconstituted the Advisory Committee for the Small Tea Growers (STGs) of the country, said tea industry sources. Three tea growers—Bidyanda Barkakoty, Dilip Moran and Diki Tashi Wangchuk have been inducted in the advisory committee. Barkakoty, who is the vice-chairman of the Tea Board, will be the Chairman of the Advisory Committee. There are about two lakhs STGs in India, out of which one lakh is in Assam alone. As per official figures, about 33 per cent of the country’s tea is produced from the green leaf of STGs. However, as per unofficial figures, it is above forty per cent and would touch 50 per cent by the year 2025. The country’s Small Growers Development Directorate (SGDD) is headquartered at Dibrugarh, Assam.