Tea powder, tablet to add new dimension to Assam Tea

‘Government thrust to increase production of orthodox and specialty teas’

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: A new chapter in the history of Assam tea is about to unfold as the production of tea powder from green leaf is about to be started commercially for the first time in the state.

The tea powder will also be converted into tea tablets in five different flavours. An attempt was made to produce tea tablets by Tocklai Tea Research Institute in collaboration with a tea company in 1987-88. They were able to make it on an experimental basis, but no further steps were taken to popularize or market it at that time.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma is giving thrust to alternative means of producing Assam tea in forms other than the traditional ones in view of the challenges facing the tea industry in Assam. On Wednesday, the CM met with senior executives of Tata Group and Hindustan Unilever Ltd. and held discussions with them regarding the Assam tea industry. The CM said, "Had a detailed discussion on unlocking opportunities for the tea industry and solutions that include the ease of living of the tea garden community. Assam is looking forward to new investment opportunities by Hindustan Unilever, including enhancing value addition to the state's tea industry."

General Manager of Dibrugarh District Industry & Commerce Centre, Morgan Meston, informed The Sentinel, "A factory to produce tea powder has been set up at Lahowal in the Dibrugarh district, and a trial run was conducted last week. This step will benefit the tea producers, especially the small tea growers. The target is to produce 500 kg per day, for which around 6,000 kg of green leaf will be required per day. We will make tea tablets from the powder. The tablets just need to be mixed with hot water to make instant tea. People then may add milk and sugar or drink it directly, according to their preference."

Sources said, "Tea tablets exist in the market, but the ones produced in Assam will have a much better quality as compared to the existing tea tablets because they will be produced directly from raw green leaf straight from the tea bushes. The Assam government had announced incentives for the tea industry to increase production of orthodox and specialty teas. Specialty teas mean Green tea, White tea, Oolong tea, Singhpo tea, Purple tea, Yellow tea, etc."

Recently, the CM mentioned that some youths in Upper Assam have produced tea from tea trees that grow in the wild. The tea produced traditionally from the tea trees is of better quality and flavour than that produced from tea bushes cultivated in tea gardens.

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