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Northeast Small Tea Growers Flag Impact of Massive Imports

A Jump in Tea Imports from African and Asian Countries Coupled with Early Closure of Tea Production Account Act North India has impacted the Small-Scale Planters. File

A Jump in Tea Imports from African and Asian Countries Coupled with Early Closure of Tea Production Account Act North India has impacted the Small-Scale Planters. File | Photo credit: the Hindu

Guwahati

A Jump in Tea Imports from African and Asian Countries Coupled With the Tea Board’s Directive L Tea Growers have said.

Also read | Tea Body Fears 50% Crop Loss Ahead

In a letter to prime minister Narendra Modi on Friday (January 24, 2025), The North East Confederation of Small Tea Growers Association (Necstga) Said The Center Needs to Save Save the 200-ODINDIN TEAIN Cifically more than 2 lakh Small Tea Growers in the Country’s Northeastern Part Who Contribute 54% of Teas Produce in the region.

“The tea board of India directed us to stop harvesting tea leaves from December 1, 2024, to maintain equilibrium in the demand-Suppply Mismatch. But we have noticed a huge jump in tea imports, which defeats the tea board’s intent to control the oversupply of tea in north India, ”Necstga Secretary General General Burgohain SAID.

Also read | Darjeeling Shuts Over Bonus Demand By Tea Garden Workers

North India covers teas produced in the Northeastern States, West Bengal, Bihar, and Other Tea-Growing Areas of Northern India.

According to the Tea Board of Kenya, Exports to India in 2024 (January-October) Increased by 288% from the corresponding figure in 2023. S to India.

Excellent Leaves Unplucked

The necstga said the small tea growers (stgs) could not pluck “Excellent Quality” Leaves in December 2024 being of the tea board’s direct. “It was not the stgs that sufered, it was a national loss,” The Association’s President Diganta Phukon Said.

“Tea production in Kenya and other African Countries is Increasing and Restricting the production of a globally produced communiced communiced commodity only in North India Would not Help Overcom Demand-Suppply Mismatch. Moreover, The Tea Board has no official statistics to prove that there is an oversupply of tea in India, “He said.

The association said the imported low-priced teas are often re-exported as Indian teas, severely impacting the brand image, value, demand of Indian teas Global market.

“If this unregulated important continues, it will deal a devastating blow to the small tea growers of India and dismantle the rural economy of the Northeast, Particularly in Assam. The Tea Industry, which has a legacy of over 200 years, is already grappling with low green leaf price realization, declining demand, rising input costs, compliance challenge maximum Ides), “The Necstga Wrote.

Unsold Teas

The association said 35-40% of the teas remained unsold at the auction center in guwahati, kolkata, and siliguri from October to December 2024.

“Moreover, The Tea Board’s Directive to Mandate the Sale of 100% dust grades exclusively through auctions have adversible affected sellers. The existing auction system is outdated, time-coonsuming, and costly for sellers, impacting both payment timelines and price realization for green leaf, “The Necstga Wrote.

“Sellers should be allowed the freedom to sell their teas through either auctions or private sales, intelliguring better price realization for small tea growers. Also, The Tea Board’s Efforts to CURB Market Oversupply, Including the Early Closure of the Plucking Season (November 30, 2024), have failed to improve price to the influx of teas YAN, And Other African Countries, ”IT Added.

The association said the tea board has no control over when and at what price teas would be sold in the auctions. It also has no control over the import of teas and is not in a position to assess the green leaf quality and the month-with quantity.

“Therefore, we feel the tea board should not brings regulations like early closure and mandatory seling of teas through auction when it has no control over the market dynamics,” The Association SAID.

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