Small tea growers advocate crackdown on low quality tea

Alongside this concern, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA) has raised a demand for a continuous campaign to encourage tea consumption among the youth aged between 18 and 21 years

Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 24 Mar 2024, Jalpaiguri: The market is flooded with low-priced, low-quality tea and it’s imperative to halt the circulation of these inferior products, feel the small tea growers. 

Alongside this concern, the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association (CISTA) has raised a demand for a continuous campaign to encourage tea consumption among the youth aged between 18 and 21 years.

A letter has been dispatched to the Additional Secretary of the Tea Board of India on behalf of the organisation. Low-quality tea is being sold in the market at Rs 80 to 90 per kg, leading to a saturation of the market. This trend not only affects tea drinkers but also diminishes interest in tea consumption among many. 

The Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers Association asserts that the sale of low-quality tea should be curbed by governmental intervention. 

Bijay Gopal Chakraborty, president of the association, remarked: “The prevalence of low-quality tea in the market has consequences. Therefore, it’s essential to scrutinise the quality of all tea being auctioned at the rate of Rs 80 to 90 per kg to maintain standards. Furthermore, a significant portion of the younger generation, aged 18 to 21, tends to prefer cold drinks and expensive coffee over tea. 

Hence, continuous promotional efforts are necessary to cultivate their interest in tea consumption, possibly by engaging a tea brand ambassador,” he added. “The organisation has forwarded a letter to the Tea Board outlining multiple demands, including the auctioning of 100 per cent of raw tea leaves. 

Presently, only 40 per cent of the total tea produced in the country is being auctioned and 80 per cent of bought leaf tea is sold outside the auction, leading to opacity in pricing. 

Ensuring transparency in tea prices is crucial. Implementing such measures is imperative to foster growth in the tea industry and increase the number of tea enthusiasts,” added Chakraborty. 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/tmc-will-increase-number-of-seats-vote-share-in-state-557271?infinitescroll=1