Capacity-building training programme for small tea growers held at Aniruddhadev Bhawan, Dibrugarh University

DIBRUGARH: A day-long capacity-building training programme on value chain development for small tea growers was held recently at Aniruddhadev Bhawan, Dibrugarh University, as part of SEWA’s (Socio Educational Welfare Association) Natural Farming and Handmade Tea Production Project, in collaboration with the Centre for Tea and Agro Studies at Dibrugarh University.

Dr PK Borua, chairperson of the Centre for Tea and Agro Studies at DU, formally inaugurated the training. Pranoy Bordoloi, DDM NABARD, also attended the programme. The programme was attended by small tea growers from the Tingkhong block of the Dibrugarh district. The training covered topics such as tea diversification and value addition, market potential, and tea packaging, the impact of climate change on the tea and how to mitigate it, entrepreneurial skills in the context of small tea growers and compliances for tea sustainability.

Madhurjya Baruah, Secretary ABITA Zone 1, Pransu Raj Kaushik, Assistant Professor Centre for Management Studies, Dibrugarh University, Prafulla Bordoloi, Tea Scientist, and Bijoy Saikia, Tea Consultant, delivered talks as resource person. Arfan Hussain, Vice President of SEWA, also spoke on agroforestry and the benefits of diversification in agricultural practises in the context of STGs. Bimal Buragohin, coordinator of SEWA, also attended the programme. At the end, Dr Palash Dutta, Associate Professor of Mathematics, and Amir Barhoi of the Mathematics Department of DU, participated in a panel discussion with the tea growers.

SEWA is implementing a project with the support of NABARD, with the goal of promoting natural tea cultivation among the Dibrugarh district’s small tea growers. The projec’s goals include growing an ecologically sustainable plantation, conserving ecology and natural habitats without damaging soil, air, or water, and ensuring long-term tea production. The training project on zero budget natural farming an attempt of SEWA to strengthen the capacity of 100 small tea growers of Tingkhong block of Dibrugarh district, with handholding assistance for natural tea production and extra support for equipment, infrastructure, and market linkages.

Also Read:Assam State Election Commission released draft photo electoral roll for Panchayat election released

Also Watch: