Small tea growers decries government apathy

The small tea growers of the state have been deprived from getting genuine prices while selling green leaves due to lack of own production
factories in the state.

• The tea growers have exhorted the state government as well BTAD administration to provide financial aid for setting up of tea production factories for self-reliance of the tea farmers.
• Tea growers, members both from association and council across the state participated and discused about the daily wages for labour and their welfare initiatives which are to be paid from the concern growers.
• There are nearly 3 lakh small tea growers across the state and four districts of BTAD region have over ten thousand small tea growers.
• Lakhs of labours are working in the small tea growers across the state and they are earning their livelihood. Presently,the small tea growers are offering Rs.135-150 per day as daily wage.
• The small tea growers alleged that due to lack of production facilities,the tea growers are deprived from getting genuine prices of green leaves.Presently, tea producers are getting only Rs.13-15 per kg green leaf which is not sufficient to run a small tea grower unit.

Small Tea Growers:

• Small Tea Grower (STG) segment accounts for almost 36% of the total tea production (2014) in India. For most, tea is the only source of livelihood. The Tea Board of India defines a Small Tea Grower as a person who has a tea cultivation of up to 25 acres. But in the current scenario, most growers own less than 2 acres of land.
• STGs are often based at very remote areas and are scattered. Even as their numbers swell, due to remoteness and scattered nature of existence, they lack of organisation and bargaining capacity. They are dependent on exploitative trade channels to sell their produce. A range of other issues threaten their existence and livelihood.
• For instance, growers have low levels of technical knowledge and business skills, they lack of awareness about government support and face shortage of funds. Their representation at local and national level is abysmal. These are serious impediments in STGs healthy growth. Unfair price of green adds to their vulnerability and affects their access to health, education and other essential services.
• Centre for Education and Communication (CEC) has been working towards reducing poverty and improving income of the STGs. The present project of “Sustainable Livelihoods for Small Tea Growers” is being implemented in partnership with Traidcraft and supported by the European Union. Spanning across five states in India - Assam, West Bengal, Tripura, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh - the project addresses some of the key issues confronting the small tea growers. Organising Primary Producer Society (PPS) is at the heart of the activities. Over more than 560 PPS have been formed till date reaching out to about 50,000 growers.

By: Ziyaur Rahman