As the West Bengal Government has started distributing land rights to the tea workers, the chairman of the Indian Tea Association (ITA) Atul Asthana has said that the Land and Land Reforms Department has assured them that the government’s intention was is not to ‘disturb’ the existing establishments within plantations while identifying the land to be distributed for homestead patta (deed of right).

Addressing the 62nd Annual General Meeting of the Tarai Branch of ITA (TBITA) in Siliguri on Friday Mr Asthana also said: “ The exercise must be on mutual cooperation. I trust this spirit will be followed at the district level.” “As the production of tea continues to be on the rise, India’s crop in 2023, from January to November, was 1290 million kgs – a decline by 11.65 million kgs from the corresponding levels of 2022,” the ITA chairman Mr Asthana said, adding: “The Terai region’s overall production till November 2023 reflects an increase by 4 million kgs compared to previous year.

As far as our member gardens’ crop goes, we are marginally down.” “While on one hand, the organised sector’s production is showing a declining trend, the small tea growers’ production has been increasing and surpassing 55 per cent of West Bengal’s overall production. Unless the production is optimised, the impact on quality and price will most likely be adverse much to the detriment of the industry,” he said. Speaking to reporters, secretary general of the ITA, Arijit Raha, said: “Climate change is a direct threat to the industry.

Due to climate change production cost is being increased abnormally but the price has not increased to make up excess cost of production at present. As a result, many sick gardens are closed and others are suffering losses.” TBITA secretary Rana Dey said: “ Price growth is stagnant in Siliguri Tea Auction Centre. Compared to 2022, the auction price was down by Rs 14 per kg in 2023.”

“We are trying hard to increase consumption and export. But there is no scope to increase the rate of export because of oversupply of 677 million kgs tea in global market. When production was 966 million kgs in 2010, we exported over 200 million kgs. But the rate of export is almost same when the present production is 1365 million kgs.”