Small tea growers stage protest in Dibrugarh over plunging green leaf prices

A Correspondent

Dibrugarh: The members of All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association (AASTGA) on Monday staged a protest outside DC office in Dibrugarh decrying the dramatic collapse in green tea leaf prices. Prices have plunged from a peak of Rs 52 per kg to as low as Rs 15 which is below the production cost of Rs 25-27 per kg.

“The government is not taking our request to set a minimum sustainable price (MSP) for green leaves seriously. We are in danger of total collapse. How can we make a profit at Rs 15 when it costs us Rs 25 to Rs 27 to produce one kg of high-quality green tea leaves? We are losing a lot of money every day,” said Rubul Hatibaruah, president of AASTGA.

He said, “We are peaceful farmers who are implementing the green revolution to boost our economy, but it appears that the sharp decline in green leaf prices has put our future in jeopardy.”

“The tea leaves come from Kenya. Blending is necessary in Assam tea. The government should take immediate step to control the prices of green leaf,” Hatibaruah said.

Due to this unsustainable price, thousands of growers—many of whom were educated young people who put their savings into growing tea—cannot afford basic operating costs like salaries, pesticides, and fertiliser.

The foundation of Assam's tea business is made up of small tea growers, who are described by the Tea Board as those who cultivate up to 25 acres, albeit the majority own fewer than two. They account for about 48% of the state's yearly tea production, with 125,484 growers overseeing 117,304 hectares of land.

Also Read: Assam: 10th triennial conference of All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association concludes in Tinsukia District

Also Watch: