Tea Board of India to hold meet with small tea growers

MP | 4 June 2023 | Jalpaiguri: The Assistant Director of the Jalpaiguri Regional Office of the Tea Board of India has scheduled a meeting with the small tea growers’ organisations from Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar, and Cooch Behar districts. 

The meeting is set to take place on Tuesday and will address various issues, including the sale of green leaves and concerns faced by small tea growers. The adverse effects of excessive heat and insect attacks have severely impacted tea gardens, including those owned by small tea farmers. 

Additionally, the market price of green leaves is currently lower than the production cost, leading to significant losses for tea farmers in North Bengal. Bijay Gopal Chakraborty, District Secretary of the Jalpaiguri Small Tea Growers Association, stated: “In Jalpaiguri district alone, small tea is cultivated on 22,000 hectares of land, with the participation of 25,000 small tea farmers. 

West Bengal’s small tea growers contribute the highest production among all states, accounting for 60 per cent or 25 crore kg of the total tea production of approximately 42 crore kg in the year 2022-23. However, due to weather conditions and insect issues, the production of tea leaves in April 2023 has decreased compared to April 2022.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tea-board-of-india-to-hold-meet-with-small-tea-growers-520971