Assam: Crestfallen small tea growers cry out for MSP for green tea leaves

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: In the absence of any price protection, the small tea growers of Assam have been crying for remunerative prices for their green leaves during this season. This is despite the growers repeatedly requesting the government to fix an MSP (minimum support price) for green tea leaves.

For instance, around 2,000 small tea growers at Tengani in Sorupathar have been selling their green tea leaves at Rs 10-15 per kg now against the Rs 28-30 per kg they received in April-May. This is happening in various other tea-growing areas in the state. The growers have been crestfallen due to the sudden slump in the prices of green tea leaves. According to the growers, they have to pay Rs 5 to workers per kg for plucking alone, let alone other production costs.

The number of registered small tea growers in the state is 1.33 lakh, planting tea in around two lakh hectares of land. In 2024, small tea growers contributed 42.75 per cent of the total tea production in the state.

Speaking to this reporter, All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association (AASTGA) president Rajen Bora said, “The fluctuation of prices of green leaves is a regular phenomenon in Assam. This is the reason why we continue to raise the demand for the fixation of MSP for green leaves, but to no avail. This lapse on the part of the government has pushed the growers towards a financial crisis, as they have to do their business at the mercy of bought-leaf factories and composite gardens.”

According to sources in the Department of Industries, fixing MSP for green tea leaves is not an easy task, as it (green tea leaf) does not come under essential commodities. “Apart from this, Assam alone cannot take such a risk. If we fix MSP for green tea leaves and if our MSP is higher than the green leaf prices of neighbouring states, tea growers from those states will start selling their tea leaves in Assam. So, small tea growers need to lay stress on quality and less use of chemicals,” a source in the department said.

In June this year, small tea growers and other stakeholders had a meeting with the Department of Industries and Commerce on various issues, including the fixation of tea prices. The meeting took a decision to set up farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), each FPO comprising 500 small tea growers. Once FPOs are set up, they will be able to handle the buying and selling of green tea leaves and help determine fair prices.

According to the directive of the Union Ministry of Commerce and Industries, each district has a committee under the district administration to fix prices of tea leaves before the onset of the tea season. However, not all districts follow this strictly.

 Also read: Assam Tea Growers Threaten Stir Over Low Green Leaf Price

Also Watch: