Assam: Small Tea Growers Protest in Biswanath

BISWANATH: Small tea growers of the region protested at the office of Pratapgarh Tea Garden of Biswanth which led to the creation of an uncomfortable situation in the garden on the morning of Wednesday.

The small tea grower in the region alleged that they have not received payments since September 2022 for the tea leaves that they have sold to the company’s factory. The farmers took to the office of the tea garden at 8 AM and staged a protest. The farmers also engaged in verbal battles with the officials in the office for the non-fulfilment of their demands leading to the fleeing of the concerned official from his office in the garden. The growers also mentioned that although a meeting was held on June 10 regarding this topic, the concerned parties failed to reach an acceptable resolution.

On International Tea Day today, the All Assam Small Tea Growers Association (AASTGA) rued the fact that even as Assam Tea completed 200 years, the small tea growers of the state do not get remunerative prices for the green tea leaves they produce. And this is despite the fact that small tea growers contribute over 50 per cent of the production of green tea leaves in the state.

Talking to The Sentinel today, Krishna Prasad Sarma, general secretary of the Jorhat district committee of the All Assam Small Tea Growers Association, said, “We are proud of the tea industry in Assam completing 200 years and the small tea growers of the state contributing to the industry. We have all along been demanding a mandatory MSP (Minimum Support Price) of Rs 30 per kg of green tea leaves produced by the small tea growers in the state. However, our demand continues to fall on the deaf ears of the State Government and the Tea Board of India.”

Also Read: International Tea Day: All Assam Small Tea Growers’ Association (AASTGA) cry for remunerative prices

Also Watch: