International firm appointed to address raw tea price issues

MP  |  9 July 2023  |  Alipurduar: The Indian Tea Board has appointed an international consultancy firm to tender the change in the price-sharing formula, aiming to address the issue of raw tea prices. 

This organisation will survey small tea growers in states across India and meet representatives of small tea growers, bought-leaf tea factories, and large tea plantations. They will then submit their report to the Tea Board within the next three months. In Bengal, this organisation held meetings with representatives of small tea growers’ organizations and large tea plantations. 

The meetings took place at the Tea Board office on July 4 in Siliguri, Darjeeling district; on July 5 in Islampur, North Dinajpur; and on July 6 at the Tea Board office in Jalpaiguri. 

Additionally, the organisation’s representatives visited the fields of the tea growers and conducted a study on the difficulties faced at the grassroots level. In 2004, the Tea Board introduced a price-sharing formula similar to Sri Lanka to ensure a fair price for raw tea leaves. 

However, small tea growers claim that this method has never been popular in determining the price of green tea leaves. In India, only 42 per cent of tea is sold through auctions. Bijay Gopal Chakraborty, President of the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association’s Central Committee, expressed his support for a change in the formula. 

He said: “We have been demanding a change in this formula for a long time. We welcome this initiative by the Tea Board. In our last meeting on June 6, we presented the documents showing the production cost of raw tea leaves at Rs 18.25 per kg to the representatives of the organisation. 

We also highlighted the financial losses faced by tea farmers day after day. For the past few months, tea farmers have been forced to sell tea leaves for only Rs 15-16 per kg, where the production cost is Rs.18.25. 

I hope that after the survey report of this organization reaches the Tea Board in three months, the Tea Board will take new initiatives to ensure a fair price for tea.”

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/international-firm-appointed-to-address-raw-tea-price-issues-524999