Jalpaiguri small tea growers diversify with alternative farming

Dibyendu Sinha, MP, 27 June 2024, Jalpaiguri: Small tea growers in the Jalpaiguri district have started alternative farming to boost their income, moving beyond traditional tea cultivation. 

They have begun cultivating dragon fruit, pepper, malta, mushrooms, and engaging in fishery, goatery and poultry farming as additional sources of income. This initiative, named the “Small Tea Growers Sustainable Programme,” initially involved 800 farmers. 

According to the Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers Association, more than 2,000 small tea farmers will soon join this alternative cultivation effort. 

The price of raw tea leaves has been low and in recent years, tea gardens, both big and small, have faced significant losses due to adverse weather conditions. As a result, small tea farmers in Jalpaiguri are experiencing financial problems.
To address this, the Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers Association began planning for alternative cultivation alongside tea in 2021 to increase income. Two voluntary organizations, domestic and foreign, extended a helping hand, training the small tea farmers in various alternative farming techniques. 

So far, about 2,200 farmers have been trained in the district, with 800 already starting their new ventures. 

Tapan Biswas, a member of the association and mentor of this program, said: “The alternative farming being done does not exclude tea. All the empty spaces inside the gardens are being utilized. 

Dragon fruit is being planted along the edges of the gardens, while pepper cultivation is taking place using shade trees. Betel nut trees are planted along the four sides of the gardens. Additionally, sheds are being built next to the gardens for fishery, goatery and poultry farming. 

Except for dragon fruit, the other ventures require only a one-time investment. Even if the initial profit is 60 percent, the profit will increase over time.” 

Bijay Gopal Chakraborty, Secretary of the Jalpaiguri District Small Growers Association, said: “The work has been started in the interest of small tea farmers, and it will expand further in the future.” 

Courtesy & source- Millennium Post

https://www.millenniumpost.in/bengal/mamata-stalls-eviction-drive-for-a-month-directs-setting-up-hawker-zones-569736?infinitescroll=1