Produce Varieties of Quality Tea, Grab Global Market: Chandra Mohan Patowary

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: Industries and Commerce Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary on Wednesday exhorted the captains of the tea industry to produce varieties of high-quality tea to grab the international market.

“The international market in flooded with varieties of quality tea. Unless the State’s tea industry produces tea to match the international standard, Assam tea will not receive the deserving prices. It is high time for the tea industry to make a departure from the convention method of producing tea and adopt innovative ways to attract the present generation to consume tea,” Patowary said while addressing a press conference here.

The Minister was addressing the media after holding a high-level meeting with various stakeholders of the tea industry at Assam Administrative Staff College at Khanapara here on Wednesday evening. During the meeting the government has decided to engage a third party to conduct an in-depth study on the present status of the tea industry and work out strategies to successfully face the emerging challenges.

He said reputed and independent institutes like IIT and IIM will conduct the study. He said the study will cover the overall scenario, problems, prospects and future challenges of the tea industry.

“The prime objective of the study is to prepare a roadmap to make the tea industry sustainable in future,” he said, adding the government has laid emphasis on research on Assam tea to make it a globally-accepted product. The government will earmark separate funds in the State Budget for Tocklai Tea Research Institute from the next financial year.

Patowary said the State Government is also setting up a tea park at Chhaygaon in Kamrup district in the line of Dubai Tea Park to promote varities of Assam both in national and international markets. Officials of the Industry department will visit Dubai for an exposure visit to the tea park there. He said the government will take up certain issues relating to the tea industry with the Centre.

He said the government has set up a Cabinet sub-committee to study the problem of the tea gardens managements to provide huge ration to workers. The government has, however, rejected the industry’s plea to share the PF burden of the tea gardens managements.

Patowary, however, evaded a direct reply on the issue of paying Durga puja bonus to tea workers by the gardens. “I hope that bonus will be paid to workers as per norms,” he said. The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) on Tuesday dropped a hint that this year most of the tea estates in State may not be in a position to pay 20 per cent bonus to their labourers because of losses they had to suffer.

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