Guwahati, Aug 25: BJP MLA Mrinal Saikia has expressed alarm over the growing import of Kenyan tea into India, cautioning that the trend could devastate Assam’s century-old tea industry.

In a post on X, Saikia warned that unless urgent steps are taken to regulate the inflow of low-cost Kenyan tea, Assam’s tea sector risks collapse.

“India has imported 45% more tea from Kenya this year, even as Assam’s warehouses remain piled with unsold stock and auction prices continue to crash,” Saikia noted.

The legislator said that Assam’s 1.33 lakh Small Tea Growers (STGs) — who account for 55% of the state’s tea production and employ nearly one million people — are feeling the heat. Prices of raw green leaf have already dropped below ₹12–14 per kg, and the surge in imports could push rates even lower.

Saikia said unchecked inflows of low-grade Kenyan tea are eroding the market for authentic Assam produce. He further pointed out that over 300 companies, including major firms like Tata and Hindustan Unilever, are importing cheaper teas from Kenya, blending them with Assam tea, and re-exporting the mix abroad or selling it in domestic markets.

India, the world’s second-largest tea producer, owes much of its global reputation to Assam tea, but Saikia warned that without policy intervention, this reputation and the livelihoods tied to it could be at risk.

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