TINSUKIA: The tea industry in Assam is facing a grave crisis and headed towards an uncertain future, with the Assam Bought Leaf Tea Manufacturers’ Association (ABLTMA) at loggerheads with Tea Board of India over the usage of banned pesticides and the present norms of the Food Safety Act and Rules (FSSAI).

A press release issued jointly by ABLTMA adviser Deven Singh and chairman Chand Gohain stated that the non-availability of laboratories for testing of green tea leaves and made teas in the tea growing districts of Assam was attributed to failure in adherence to the present norms of the Food Safety Act and Rules (FSSAI). Surprisingly, despite the intervention of the Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, the Tea Board of India did not issue any notification for keeping in abeyance the improperly conceived notification on routing of 100% dust teas through public auctions and, on April 24, 2024, released an SOP, making the same effective from May 1 to June 30, 2024. This delay in issuing the SOP deprived the BLFs (Bought Leaf Factories) from selling their Dust grades privately and the implementation of the SOP, clearly shows the malafide intentions of the Tea Board, because effectively the Tea Board gave only a window of eight days to BLFs to sell their produce privately, as per the existing practice, said Deben Singh adding that from May 1, 2024 the BLFs are once again facing a similar situation, which existed earlier in April – of producing non-compliant teas out of non-compliant green tea leaves and sending of these non- compliant teas to the public auctions, where it shall be tested and if found non-compliant the failed teas will be destroyed with penal action against the BLFs.

Presenting statistical figures, Deven Singh stated that Assam produces 675 million kg of made tea, of which the small tea growers (STGs) contribute 52 percent, producing 351 million kg. While big estates produce 140 million kg and BLFs contribute 211 million kg from 1,632 million kg of green leaves, with virtually no facilities available for testing in Assam, it would be an impossible task to undertake testing for a 6 lakh lot size with a lot average of 1200 kg, keeping production of 675 million kg of made tea in view. He further pointed out that the company tea estates under leased land of 4,30,000 hectares produce 324 million kg, while significantly more BLF and STG combine produce 351 million kg in 1,30,000 hectares on their own land, which hitherto colonial planters rejected as being unfit for tea production.

Chand Gohain alleged that the Tea Board of India, in active collusion with Kolkata-based Producer Associations and FAITTA (Federation of All India Tea Traders Association), did not invite any representative of the Bought Leaf Factory Association of Assam and West Bengal, a major stakeholder, but instead handed out a press release that in presence of all ‘Stakeholders’ adopted the routing of 100% dust teas through public auctions, which was notified on February 23. The meeting was held in Kolkata on January 6, 2024, with the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry in the chair. It was a clear case of conspiracy against the BLF Sector and the Small Tea Growers, hatched by the Kolkata-based Producer Associations and FAITTA to disturb the present equilibrium of tea operations and the relationship amongst the BLFs and the STGs (Small Tea Growers), said Gohain.

Presently, due to the rampant availability of banned chemicals and extremely poor outreach activities by the Tea Board amongst the STGs for creating awareness, the available green tea leaves cannot lead to the manufacture of compliant Made Teas. Further, the testing of made teas by the BLFs, leading to failure to meet the present norms of the Food Safety Act and Rules (FSSAI), was resulting in the suspension of registration of BLFs for periods ranging from seven days to forty-five days—for absolutely no fault of the BLFs, as the BLFs do not add any chemical formulations during the manufacture of teas in their factories. Besides, compliant green tea leaves cannot be supplied overnight, and a proper roadmap with scientific studies needs to be prepared for the transition from non-compliant to compliant green tea leaves, said Gohain.

ABLTMA has taken up the matter of rampant availability of banned chemicals with the Government of Assam; extremely poor awareness amongst the small tea growers; non-availability of testing laboratories for testing of green tea leaves and made teas in the tea growing districts; and the creation of a time-frame proper roadmap with handholding to the tea industry to manufacture teas compliant to FSSAI norms with the Government of Assam and the Tea Board of India. ABLTMA has requested the Government of Assam to come up with these resolutions so that the manufacturing operations of BLFs can continue uninterrupted, as the livelihood of lakhs of citizens in Assam is dependent on the tea industry.

Deben Singh said, ‘While the CTC-grade tea is largely consumed in the domestic markets, the Orthodox variety of teas from Assam is also exported. It is ironic that many large estates with the facility to manufacture Orthodox teas are manufacturing Orthodox teas out of non-compliant green tea leaves, allegedly bypassing FSSAI, knowing full well that such Orthodox varieties of teas are meant for the export market. Many such producers and exporters who are presently buying such non-compliant Orthodox teas are allegedly the ones who are pushing CTC dust teas to be sold through public auctions so that they pass through the testing filters’. Singh wondered how non-compliant Orthodox teas are not a health hazard and that exporting such teas will not spoil the name and fame of Assam tea. They appealed to the state government and FSSAI to test all Orthodox teas before they are sold to exporters worldwide.

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