Guwahati, July 27: The Centre has assured the small tea growers to help them increase their productivity, quality, greater value addition which will help them greater price realisation.

Though the small tea growers produce more than 50 percent of tea in the country, they have been hampered on several fronts and have not been able to get a good price for the green leaf.

Union Minister of State for Commerce and Industry, Jitin Prasada said The Tea Development & Promotion Scheme for the period 2023-24 to 2025-26 inter alia includes a range of incentives for small tea growers by mobilising them into self help groups (SHGs) and farmer producer organisations (FPOs).

“The assistance/support is provided for common facilities like field mechanisation equipment, leaf carriage vehicles, leaf sheds, pruning machines, mechanical harvesters & storage godowns, setting up of new mini factories for production of orthodox, green & specialty teas, soil testing and Capacity Building through Farm Field schools” he said.

He said the Tea Boards’ Scheme is aimed at sustaining the long-term wellbeing of the tea industry and sustaining the livelihood of the growers, workers and other stakeholders associated with the tea industry. The activities under the scheme results in employment generation. “The sub-components such as setting up of the tea manufacturing units, value addition, support for brand promotion to start-ups etc. encourage entrepreneurship, including among the youth associated with the tea industry” he added.

He added that the Tea Development & Promotion Scheme (2023-24 to 2025-26) provides for activities for increasing production, which inter-alia include re-plantation of old and senile tea bushes, and support for raising tea nurseries and training on field management practices to the small tea growers for improving their production and productivity.

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