North Eastern Tea Association demands holding exclusive Indian Tea Expo

GUWAHATI: The North Eastern Tea Association (NETA) submitted a memorandum to Piyush Goyal, Minister for Commerce & Industry, Government of India, during his visit to Guwahati. NETA is a 40-years old tea producers' body and its membership consists of tea estates with factories, tea estates without factories and bought leaf factories representing made tea of 102 million kgs of annual production.

NETA adviser Bidyananda Barkakoty said, "Climate change is one of the top five challenges for the tea industry of Assam. Without irrigation facilities it has become almost impossible for the tea bushes to survive. We have urged for a scheme on Irrigation (Sprinkler and Drip both) as well as rain water harvesting, digging of ponds for betterment of micro climatic conditions is of utmost necessity."

Other demands of NETA include a scheme for purchase of plucking machines, pruning machines; continuation of orthodox incentive of Rs 3 per kg; incentive for re-plantation; sufficient funds for generic promotion of tea in the domestic market; promotion of tea as a healthy and lifestyle beverage; a scheme to encourage tea producers to go for value addition; a scheme to encourage tea producer associations to set-up tea lounges/retail tea outlets all over the country including railway stations; a scheme to encourage tea producers to directly export from Northeast aligned with the Government of India's Act East Policy; stringent action against unscrupulous people engaged in the business of adulterated tea; declaration of blend percentage of tea growing regions in packets; and an exclusive Indian Tea Expo in New Delhi in 2022.

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