NATIONAL SMALL TEA GROWER’S CONFERENCE – AGRICULTURE
News:
Climate concerns,
economic challenges take centre stage at National Small Tea Grower’s Conference
What's
in the news?
●
Climate adaptation concerns and
maintaining economic threshold limits were some of the challenges underscored
at the National Small Tea Grower’s Conference - 2023, tipped to account for 60%
of India’s and Assam’s total tea production in the next decade.
Key
takeaways:
●
The National Small Tea Grower's Conference
2023 proved to be an enlightening and transformative event, shedding a
well-deserved spotlight on the indispensable role of Small Tea Growers (STGs)
within the Indian tea industry.
Who
are called Small Tea Growers?
●
A Small Tea Grower (STG) is defined as a
person who has a cultivation of up to 25
acres but most growers own less than 2 acres of land in remote areas.
○
Tea estates owned individually or by
companies often attribute the dip in the quality of tea to the STGs.
National
Small Tea Grower’s Conference:
Organised
by:
●
The conference was jointly organised by Solidaridad, which champions the cause
of the small and marginal farmers, workers and miners, and the Confederation of Indian Small Tea Growers’
Associations (CISTA).
Supported
by:
●
The conference was supported by the All
Assam Small Tea Growers Association, All Bodoland Small Tea Growers
Association, Jalpaiguri District Small Tea Growers Association and Small Tea
Growers Associations of South India.
AROMA
Model:
●
Assistance:
Support small growers to improve quality with sustainability, Increase
production to meet domestic and international demand.
●
Re-energise:
Create infrastructure to augment exports and focus on high value markets such
as EU, Canada, South America & Middle East.
●
Organic:
Promote organic and GI tea through brand promotion and marketing.
●
Modernisation: To enable tea farmers to
become self-reliant and strengthen local supply chains.
●
Adaptability:
Focus on the importance of a risk proof ecosystem, that is, the need for
sustainable solutions to make tea plantations meet the challenges of climate
change.
Tea:
●
Tea is the most popular and widely
consumed beverage in India.
●
India is the largest consumer of tea, with about three fourth of the country's
total produce is consumed domestically.
●
India is the second largest producer and the fourth largest exporter of tea in the
world.
Climatic
conditions:
●
Tropical
and subtropical climatic conditions are necessary (hot
and humid conditions).
●
Rainfall
should be 150-300 cm level.
●
Warm
condition and moist frost free condition throughout the year.
●
Deep, fertile and well drained soil rich
in humus and organic content.
●
The ideal temperature for its growth is 20°-30°C and temperatures above 35°C
and below 10°C are harmful for the bush.
●
Tea is a shade-loving plant and develops more vigorously when planted along
with shady trees.
Tea
Board:
●
It is the statutory body established in 1954 under tea act 1953.
●
HQ - Kolkata.
●
The Ministry
of Commerce is the nodal agency.
●
It has 31 members and reconstituted every
three years.
Further
Reference - Issues in Tea Cultivation